Silent Ranger
by KiiroDora
Summary: In a distant, different Araluen in another universe, a young ranger with a kind heart will be born. Does this quiet child have what it takes to protect his homeland? Silent Ranger is a Ranger's Apprentice alternate universe story that has only original characters in it.
1. Chapter 1: A Peculiar Remedy

It was a silent evening where only the ominous hooting of the owls could be heard around the thick, mossy trees of the forest. However, little did the owls know, this tranquility was about to meet a quick end soon.

As a young, beautiful maiden wearing a dress white as snow dashed through the forest with her steed, she took a concerned glance at her back before riding even faster than before, having seen her pursuers still haven't let go of her trail. Two men wearing purple capes and flashy caps looked at her threateningly as they readied their crossbows. The woman recognized the Genovesan assassins gaining on her, but she couldn't force her horse to ride faster, for that would bring with it the disasterous conclusion of being left without a steed in the middle of peril. As she held onto the letter she was supposed to deliver, she felt not the fear of death, but the fear of failure crawling on her body.

But there was no time to idle, as the Genovesans both shot their crossbows at the messenger. Making a quick turn, she could barely avoid the first bolt, but she was not so lucky with the second, getting shot in the arm as she lets out a shriek of pain. Struggling to keep on her horse, she could only pray to make it out alive to the Redmont Fief, the place she was supposed to deliver the important news. However, the numbing pain from the poisonous bolt had already started to cover her entire arm. The assassins likely wanted the job done as quick as possible, and they would likely succeed, as she felt her eyes go dark by the moment.

Suddenly, a metal object came flying onto one of the assassins and threw him off of his horse with a loud noise. The other assassin, who was surprised by the sudden development, quickly got shot on the heart by a long, brown arrow, and fell off his horse as well. The young woman looked around, startled, as she saw her pursuers being silently taken out. She couldn't take any more stress, and gave in to the poison, collapsing onto the soft soil of the forest filled with grass.

"I was late, weren't I?" the towering figure uttered in shame. He was none other than the shaggy bearded Ranger of Greenfield Fief, Bryce. Taking the maiden with him, he collected his striker and his arrow, and quickly rode off after tying up the captive assassin, leaving the guards he brought with him to deal with the cold blooded Genovesan.

Taking out his warmweed salve, Bryce tried to clean the wound and treated it with his best, but he knew that it would not be enough. Genovesan poison was often made from rare herbs and would take rarer herbs to cure, leaving the patient completely desperate. The pure white dress was already soiled by bright red blood, and knowing he didn't have much time, Bryce hurried to his own Fief to have the brave messenger treated.

"I'm sorry Bryce, but this is simply impossible." said the Head Healer. The strained and hopeless voice echoed in Bryce's mind, until he could shake it off and reply:

"There should be something we can do, Mark. I can interrogate the Genovesan, an-" his words were cut off by the persistent healer.

"I already know what kind of poison it is, However, we can't harvest the flowers in this season, and they only take effect when fresh, so I'm afraid... I'm afraid..." the healer, Mark, was clearly at a loss for words. It would be out of place for the Head Healer to not know what to do, however, being appointed right after the death of his mentor, he was both shaken and afraid of failure. Still doubting himself, he came to his sense with the long haired ranger's voice, and felt his hand on his shoulder.

"You can do this, Mark. You know that I'll be on your side."

"I know, but... We are literally talking about doing the impossible right here. Can you really find these winter flowers in the middle of spring?"

"I won't forgive myself if I don't try. Now, can you keep her alive as I find it?"

Mark looked at Bryce with a determined face.

"I won't forgive myself if I don't try."

"That's what I wanted to hear. Good to have you back, Mark." Bryce gave the healer a small smile.

He got out of the lightly decorated, humble castle of Greenfield and rode on his horse, Feder.

"I was worried you would never return..." said the eyes of the gloomy horse.

"Hush you," said Bryce, "We have no time to play. This one is an emergency."

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From the window of the castle, Mark watched the shadow of the mounted ranger go smaller and smaller, until he couldn't see it anymore, like he was supposed to.

Taking out one of his maps, Bryce marked down the nearby forests that could have the flowers in it. Greenfield, despite being a minor Fief, had its benefits. Rare herbs could be found lying deep in the forest, if only searched with expertise. However, the seasoned ranger had doubts about finding a flower that hasn't wilted yet. He rode on Feder through the thick woods, careful to avoid making noise, until the forest was too dense to proceed with a steed. He left Feder on a secure spot where his trusty horse could alert him of any suspicious activity, then went deeper inside the sea of green, and disappeared from view.

The forest was brimming with grass, trees and moss. The soft, brown soil beneath made it harder to tread without leaving any footprints, and the long, intertwining branches of the tall mossy trees blocked out most of the sunlight, leaving a dim, yet strangely peaceful labyrinth underneath. Searching for a lead, Bryce closed his eyes for a second and listened to his surroundings. Birds chirping, rivers flowing, squirrels wandering around, bushes rustling... Suddenly, he noticed he didn't feel any wind, which meant the bushes were suspiciously noisy. He turned around to take a look, but couldn't see anything out of place. Better safe than sorry, he thought, and cautiously approached the bushes. Lying beneath the leaves was a short, adolescent boy dressed in filthy rags.

The boy tried to run away by instinct, but Bryce grabbed his arm and held tightly. From the frightened face of the child, he could see that he meant no harm, but he wanted to be absolutely sure. After all, nobody had any reason to delve deep inside the forest in this season, let alone hiding in a bush.

"Who are you?" Bryce asked with a threatening voice. The boy didn't speak a word.

"Do you live around here?" He hesitated for a moment, but nodded afterwards.

"You were watching me. Don't think I didn't see." He avoided the ranger's glare and struggled to talk, but he couldn't.

Bryce sighed and kept dragging the boy with him as he kept searching around.

"Regardless, you are coming with me now, whether you are guilty or not." Bryce had a very important mission, and couldn't halt the process for minor things. He could deal with the child later, but the cure couldn't wait any longer. The patient was struggling to survive, and he couldn't possibly leave her to die.

However, his efforts were futile. He couldn't find any herbs or flowers, not even traces of other animals that might help him find the rare flowers. Despite this, he kept searching and searching until he could find a small, wilted white flower that matched the description perfectly. Sadly, the dry flower would be of no use, and there wasn't any of its kind around the place, either.

"I was so close... But I guess I have to keep searching around." He held a petal in his hands, sighing loudly. Time was running out. Suddenly, he felt something tugging at his clothes. That something was the child he took with him. Getting a closer look at him, he saw how malnourished the kid was. His curly, ginger hair were messed up, and his freckles barely showed from the layers of dirt on his face. Despite this, the boy kept his face straight. He was trying to tell the tall ranger something.

"What do you want?" asked Bryce. He was surprised at how silent and obedient his little captive was. The young boy pointed at the petals in his hands, and proceeded to make many hand gestures that made no sense at all. But Bryce caught up to his idea.

"You mean... There is a substitute for the flower?" He nodded and kept tugging the ranger's cape, pointing at somewhere deeper in the forest. Bryce didn't want to believe a stranger he barely knew about, but he didn't have any options left. Desperate for a solution, he made sure he was ready for a potential ambush, and followed after the kid.

With every step, the forest was getting thicker and thicker, and the little bit of sunshine passing through got drowned by the branches, leaving a dark area that blinded Bryce's eyes for a while, until he got used to it, and could notice that the boy had taken him into this damp, dark place for a reason. There were mushrooms growing from everywhere, in various patterns and lengths. Bryce watched the child look around the place, and as soon as he found what he was looking for, he signaled Bryce to come closer. The mushroom the boy picked was the same white color as the flowers.

"So this will work just as well as the flowers I was looking for, is that what you are saying?" said the ranger. The kid nodded silently. Bryce was not convinced yet, but couldn't risk losing a chance.

"Alright, then we are going back to Greenfield." Hearing this, the boy had a shocked expression printed on his face.

"I don't intend to let you go, you know. You should have thought this through before getting too nosy." He once again grabbed the child by his arm, and traced the path back to Feder, ignoring the frightened, blue eyes of the kid looking at him.

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"B-but how!? How could anyone find such a unique alternative in that kind of place?" said Mark, questioning the ranger who came back with a handful of mushrooms in place of flowers.

"Is it any good?" asked Bryce.

"These mushrooms are indeed a rare alternative to the flowers I sent you after. I didn't bother telling you about it, because it is impossible to grow in these lands, but..."

"Well, thankfully, it was possible. Now, you can prepare an antidote with these, right?" Bryce tried to cut in politely.

"Yes, I believe we can. Leave the rest to me, Bryce. Thanks for everything." said Mark with a gentle smile on his face. Nothing could make him more anxious than being trusted with a life, yet nothing could make him happier than saving one.

"Hey, that's my line!" replied Bryce cheerfully.

"Please help her however you can. I'll be leaving now."

Getting one thing off of his chest, Bryce proceeded to another problem in his hands. He still hadn't decided what to do with the kid, but he could easily say he was warmed up to him after what happened.

"Okay, now we are back to you." Bryce approached the child.

"I will begin questioning you now, and you will answer correctly to every question, understood?" He asked calmly. The kid was still anxious but forced himself to nod regardless.

"What is your name?"

"C-clyde." He uttered in a whispery voice.

"I see. Do you have a family, Clyde?" He looked at Bryce's eyes for a split second, then took a big breath.

"I don't."

"Where do you live?"

"I-um... I live..." He kept stuttering and couldn't answer.

"You don't mean you..." Suddenly, Bryce came to the realization that the child in front of him was not just wandering around in the forest, but trying to survive in it. That would explain the attire, and all the wounds and small bruises over his body. Feeling a little ashamed for misjudging Clyde, he tried to soften his voice.

"It's okay. You don't need to answer that last one. So, you haven't got anyone we could contact with?" Clyde shook his head.

"I see... I see." Bryce tilted his head forward and went deep in thought for a moment. Then, he just had an instinctual thought, maybe out of pity, or out of curiosity, or perhaps because he was impressed.

"Clyde," as he heard him, the boy held his breath.

"Would you like to be my apprentice?"


	2. Chapter 2: Ranger's New Apprentice

The night had already fallen by the time they started riding to Bryce's hut. Greenfield was greeting Clyde with a taste of fresh air and the big town square drawing a lively portrait. Feder's hooves made clunky sounds as they went past the cobblestone roads and the small bridge that was built over the river that flows through the fief. Past the river, more and more trees started to appear, finally leading them to a moderately sized hut made from oak. A bit away from the hut was a humble yet sturdy looking stable, and towards the back of the hut laid the woods. Jumping off Feder, Bryce helped Clyde down.

"Alright, here we are. Did you like Greenfield?" Clyde kept silent, as usual. However, the adept ranger could read from his face that he was indeed pleased to be there.

"I see. Not very chatty, are we? That's fine. I'll be going to the stable to take care of Feder." He pet the chestnut coloured mane of the ranger horse.

"You can go inside the hut. Try to get used to the place, okay?" He went on his way.

After handling the stable work, Bryce approached his home and went inside. He was greeted by Clyde, who was sitting on the wooden chair that was clearly too tall for him. Bryce was not used to having other people with him in the hut, and hasn't had any apprentices before, either. He felt excited at this new opportunity to try all the interesting ways a mentor could interact with his apprentice, being reminded of his own experience.

"So, how did you find the place?" he said. Clyde didn't give a response aside from a short nod, leaving Bryce disappointed.

"You don't like it that much, do you? Well, it is true that I haven't taken care of the place for a while... If you don't like it this way, how abou-" he stopped talking, examining the room, the clean curtains, the dining table with not even a speck of dust on it, and the freshly dusted rug... The room was looking clean... Too clean.

"Did you clean this place while I was gone?" Clyde nodded to his surprised mentor's question.

"You don't talk, you do chores before being told... Aren't you the apprentice all rangers dream to have?" He smiled at Clyde, who looked away.

"Still, it is okay to ask questions once in a while." He added. "Aren't you curious? I thought you wanted to be a ranger."

Clyde got off the chair and looked through the big window with empty pots lined up in front of it. Was he even listening to Bryce? The shaggy bearded ranger wondered.

"Well, in any case, just clean up and sleep for now. You must be tired from doing all those chores." said Bryce, and he yawned loudly before taking out several files from his bag.

"I'll be reading these files- Oh, don't worry, you don't have to do these, not yet."

Exhausted, Clyde went to soak in warm water, and only after wearing the new clothes he got from his mentor he realized that he didn't know where he was supposed to sleep.

"What's the matter, Clyde, need any help?" said the tired voice of Bryce. After looking at the confused face of his apprentice, he also realized that he hadn't shown Clyde his room, so he walked over to the door with the curtain, which was right next to the bathroom Clyde walked out of.

"Open the curtain. This is your room, see?" Clyde went in and found himself in a small room with a comfy looking bed, a wardrobe and a tiny window of its own. There was even a green rug covering part of the wooden floorboards. Looking at the excited face of the young boy, Bryce cheerfully pat his back.

"You liked it, didn't you? I'm glad. There are some friends of mine that suggested I should lock you in a dark room for discipline or something, but I couldn't bear to do it. Unless..." Clyde suddenly got white as a sheet and shook his head from side to side, almost tearfully.

"Relax, relax! I was just messing with you. It is nice to see you can do more than nod, though." Bryce smiled at his apprentice's glaring face, then got out of the room telling him good night.

Clyde climbed up to his bed and gave himself to the soft embrace of the fluffy blanket. With the light breeze from the window hitting his face, he soon fell asleep.

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As the golden strands of sunlight started flowing through the big window, Bryce tied his hair up, got out of his room and decided to wake Clyde up, but he was nowhere to be seen. Returning to the living room, he noticed that not only had the big mahogany table been already set, the bowls were filled with some sort of mushroom soup, with warm bread and fresh cheese next to them. Clyde was waiting for his mentor on the tall chair.

"Are you serious?" A surprised Bryce exclaimed. "How did I not hear you preparing all these?" Clyde looked away and started eating the hot soup after blowing on it.

"Well, I must admit that I'm impressed. But don't you think something is missing?" Clyde's face went white after hearing him, and as he rushed to get off the chair, he was stopped by his mentor.

"I'll handle this one. You've done enough."

Bryce took out the coffee beans and grounded them, releasing the wonderful smell all around the room. Then he started brewing the coffee, and poured it in two small cups with flowers delicately painted on them. Then he added a bit of milk in one of the cups and put them on the table.

"I don't like to put sugar in my coffee, but you look like you'd enjoy it with milk, am I mistaken?" he asked joyfully. Clyde looked at him in disbelief.

"How did I guess?" Bryce laughed. "Well, let's say that you show more on your face than you think." Clyde looked down and took a sip from the coffee. The freshly grounded liquid filled him with energy as he kept drinking. Little did he know, he had already taken a big step towards being a ranger.

As they kept eating, Bryce broke the silence once again.

"Say, Clyde, you aren't... Afraid of me, are you?" asked Bryce.

If this was the first time Clyde had met a ranger, it would be reasonable to feel scared, not to mention his first impression on his apprentice was dragging him around. The young apprentice shook his head, but then he avoided Bryce's eyes once again.

"I see. That's reassuring." said the mentor, somewhat disheartened.

"Okay, we're done eating, right? Then it is time for our daily exercise. Follow me, Clyde." said Bryce, rising up from the chair and signaling Clyde to do the same.

The forest that faced the back of the hut was a tranquil place that was perfect for a ranger's training. Having made an obstacle course for a warm-up, Bryce showed his apprentice how the course works and the basics of warming up.

"If you don't warm up before training, your muscles won't be able to stretch. We don't want to injure ourselves, do we?" said Bryce. To encourage Clyde, he continued his exercise routine next to him. Clyde looked like a sickly child, but he still went through the exercises and the obstacle course in one piece. He fell into a puddle of water after failing to grab onto a rope after jumping around, but Bryce was satisfied with the result.

"Whew... Okay, the easy part is done now." said the energetic mentor. Clyde already felt tired, but didn't object or respond to Bryce.

As they went further into the woods, Bryce took out several weapons from his belt and put them on a large tree stump.

"Now, which one are you curious about the most?" he said with glee. His own mentor hadn't given him a choice on that matter, but the soft hearted mentor wanted to befriend his apprentice, or at least get them to talk, no matter how good he was at reading his face.

"Um..." Clyde meekly pointed at the large dagger with the leather sheath.

"Ah, a classic, that one. This is called a saxe blade. In case you are curious, it comes from 'sea axe'." said Bryce, and went on to explain the unique, durable smithy of the blade and how versatile the weapon was, from a basic camping utensil to a melee or ranged weapon. He sheathed the knife and took the throwing knife.

"This one has a heavier hilt, see?" he handed the knife to his apprentice, to get another nodding response. "That's because it needs to be stable when thrown, so that it will hit the target with the sharp side." He threw the knife to a large tree he had marked with paint beforehand and scored an easy bullseye. "Here, you try it now." He removed the knife from the body of the tree and gave it to Clyde. The boy focused his blue eyes onto the target and threw the knife like he saw Bryce doing it. The knife flew too high and hit a branch with the hilt instead of the body.

"It is okay, I don't expect you to best it on your first try. Try to control how much force you put into it." said the focused mentor. The knife training kept going for a while until Clyde needed a small rest.

"Next up is the recurve bow. Have you ever used one?" asked Bryce, but Clyde hasn't even seen a bow this close before. The bow was curved on the sides to allow the apprentices, who were much weaker than the mentors, to shoot more accurately and comfortably. Bryce showed the confused boy how to put the bowstring on, holding arrows and pulling the string. He then threw a gauntlet at Clyde.

"Now wear this for protection, and let's see you try by yourself." He was sure Clyde would skin his arm with the bow had he not told him about the gauntlet. He couldn't be that cruel to his apprentice, he thought, but perhaps he would have thought otherwise if his apprentice was an unruly person.

Clyde shot arrow after arrow, but missed all of his shots. He gave a half scared, half embarrassed look at Bryce, who was not mad at all.

"Keep trying. Don't forget my pointers, and try to not hold the bow that stiff."

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Clyde kept trying and finally scored some hits on the tree mark. Expectantly looking at Bryce, he wondered if he did a good job.

"Well done! You are getting better. But remember, we will keep training until -and even after- you stop missing altogether." Could he ever reach such heights at archery? Clyde thought as he stood on the damp grass.

"...I am not picking up those arrows though, God knows where they are." said Bryce, chuckling. Clyde stared at the ground again, only to be poked by his mentor.

"Hey, cheer up, will you? You really will get better, I am not kidding." He walked back towards the hut. Looking at the target mark on the tree one last time, Clyde followed him through the forest path.

Returning home to a quick shower and a dinner made by group effort, Clyde went to bed and once again fell asleep looking at the stars through the window.

However, in the middle of the night, he woke up shrieking tearfully and drenched in sweat. He had seen that dream again. The one he thought he wouldn't anymore. Breathing heavily, he hardly noticed that Bryce was by his side, on his knees with a cup of water in his hands. The concerned mentor gave the cup to Clyde and let him drink, take deep breaths, and drink again.

"Who was it?" asked Bryce. He spoke with a serious yet calm voice, calming Clyde down a little. Surprised to be read like a book again, the tired boy couldn't even change his expression, looking at his mentor blankly.

"I... It's my..." He took another deep breath. "It's my uncle." He hoped that Bryce understood, just like he seemed to understand everything about him.

"I see. Your uncle..." Bryce looked at the floor blankly, then turned his face towards Clyde again. "I had someone like that too, someone dear to me... It has been years since, but I still hold it in my heart." He took out a dried white lily from his pocket. "Here, I used to hold onto this to keep myself calm, just like my memories, my feelings... I held onto it to remind me that she was by my side even then." Clyde took the flower with shaking hands and put it back on Bryce's pocket.

"You... you still need it." he uttered with a shy determination. Bryce first gave Clyde a warm smile, then a hug.

"I'm here, it is okay." said the tired mentor.

"I-I'm here... too." said back the tired apprentice. Somehow, somewhere inside, both of them could feel a deeper bond than they thought they could ever have.


	3. Chapter 3: A Trusty Steed

It was a few days after Clyde started his ranger training, and he was definitely improving with time. He could use the knives and the bow better, but the fact that he was bored of geography and politics lessons didn't escape his mentor's eye. Despite that, Clyde was striving to get better at his job each and everyday, and Bryce was silently admiring his determination.

"Well, that went better than last time." said Bryce, looking at the painted tree bark filled with arrows. Some of them were out of focus, but comparing to his first time, Clyde was glad with the result.

"No slacking, though. You still have a long way to go until your accuracy hits the limit." said Bryce. Clyde looked into Bryce's eyes with a questioning face. He had started to be more expressive, showing his curiosity more and more by each day.

"Well, you know the point, right? You need to make every hit a perfect one. Acceptable shots in training mean a lot less in an actual battlefield. Any mistake will likely prove fatal. You understand?" Bryce was a lot more serious when it came to life threatening situations, especially in a lesson. Clyde nodded in agreement. He could see how important it actually was to master accurate shots.

After being done with the training, Bryce went back to the hut to prepare a light lunch, while Clyde followed right after him, but he was stopped by his mentor.

"The training is done for now. I know, I know," he said to a persistent looking Clyde, "You still want to train, but we have an important thing to do today."

Not mentioning that particular thing was a big mistake for a mentor, because the curious apprentice would bug them until they finally revealed the secret. But Clyde wasn't exactly the most standard apprentice, and Bryce wasn't the most strict mentor.

"I'll prepare the lunch this time. You can rest and spend your free time, but be back in an hour or so. This is an opportunity you rarely get in a lifetime." Bryce was trying to poke Clyde's innate curiosity, but the silent apprentice had already left to the forest to collect herbs. "Sure, go pick your mushrooms, I guess." Bryce sighed loudly.

Clyde returned right before the meeting time, with a fresh batch of different salves. The young apprentice loved picking herbs and making medicine, and had even bought an encyclopedia of forest plants recently. Bryce didn't understand this peculiar interest at first, but then he recalled the profession of his uncle. After the curly haired apprentice put his products away, he excitedly approached Bryce. The tall ranger had been waiting for this moment.

"So... Are you curious about where we are going?" Clyde nodded.

"Well then... You missed your chance last time. Keep wondering as we walk there." He let out a laugh. Clyde pouted and glared at his cruel mentor, and followed right after him as he walked towards the bridge that stood over the small river of Greenfield.

The road was a short one, but for Clyde's short legs, it was a painful walk regardless. At last, the apprentice could see a large stable in the clearing they reached just a while ago, after taking several shortcuts through small forests.

Inside the stable was an old man, feeding the horses some apples.

"How are you doing, Poe? I hope the horses aren't giving you a hard time." Bryce greeted the man with a smile on his face.

"Oh, look who came for a visit!" said Poe with a cheerful voice. He walked over to the ranger after feeding the last apple to the horse.

"You grew a few meters since the last time I saw you, boy!" He added, in a sarcastic manner. Bryce let out a laugh, but as his last visit was a long time ago, the old man could very well be telling the truth.

"You probably know why I came. This is Clyde." Bryce pointed at his apprentice.

"Um... Hi." said Clyde shyly. He could have leapt a mile in conversations when with Bryce, but for everyone else, it was the same.

"Now this is interesting. Decided to find yourself a kid after all these years, my boy?" said Poe. As he kept talking, he walked over to take one of the horses out and walked it out of the stable and into the large field. Bryce and Clyde followed right after him.

"Now, Clyde, have you understood why we are here?" Asked Bryce. Clyde shook his head sideways, being more confused than ever.

"Well, you will understand now." He continued. Poe had already saddled the horse.

"This one is called Gale, kid." said the old man. "Why don't you try to ride him?" Clyde refused, having never ridden a horse on his own before, he felt insecure. Bryce coughed loudly.

"Are we perhaps forgetting some procedure, Poe?" He really didn't want Clyde losing his trust to his mentor, and once again sighed at the missing opportunities he had to give up for a healthier relationship.

"Ah, couldn't bear to see the kid flying off, could we? You were always soft like this, boy." Poe shook his head as if he was disappointed.

"Okay, okay. The password is 'Trust me.' now let's see the kid ride!" He smiled.

Clyde was even more confused. He turned to Bryce begging for an explanation.

"Clyde, remember Feder? You see, we rangers have horses trained specifically for the job. They won't let anyone ride them unless you give them the password. We'll teach the commands you can give by time." Explained Bryce shortly. Clyde meekly approached Gale. The light brown horse was really beautiful with his long beige mane and radiated a loyal aura to the young apprentice. Taking a deep breath, Clyde said the password.

"Tr-trust... Trust me!" Gale's ears twitched and he allowed the shy ranger to pet his head. Clyde stretched his hands up and held onto the saddle, climbing over the horse. The field's view was much better on top of the ranger horse.

The lessons on riding and commanding the horse begun shortly after, and Bryce and Poe teached all the tricks a horse could have to Clyde. Riding on Gale, the wind swept the ginger hair of the boy aside, letting him feel the wind as he carefully rode his new friend.

They bid farewell to a smiling Poe, and started walking the way back home with Gale on their side.

"How was Gale, did he meet your expectations?" asked Bryce. Clyde gave him a dull look, as he couldn't have an expectation as he wasn't told about anything until then. Then he looked at Gale, and felt something inside, like someone was speaking to him from inside of his mind.

"You're new to this, aren't you? Don't worry, just trust me." the voice belonged to Gale, Clyde was sure of that. But he didn't know how to explain this to his mentor. As he tried to talk, Bryce was once again steps ahead of him.

"Your first talk with the horse, am I right?" He smiled at the inexperienced boy. "You'll get used to it." They kept walking, as Clyde wondered what else could be waiting in this new path he had taken. A new friend wouldn't hurt, he thought. It wouldn't hurt at all.


	4. Chapter 4: The Gathering

"Clyde?" a familiar voice ringed in the young boy's head.

"Clyde? Come on, get up, will you?" As he slowly opened his eyes and rose up from the clutches of his comfy bed, he recognized the voice as his mentor Bryce's voice. After the last trace of sleepiness vanished from his pale, freckled face, he got out of his small room and into the living room filled with the fresh sunshine flowing from the windows. The flower pots lined up behind the curtains were usually empty, but today, there were several white lilies inside each pot.

"Here you are. It isn't like you to be late like this, you know." said the tall, shaggy bearded Ranger in an allusive tone. Despite not saying anything about it, he knew his excited apprentice had stayed up late practicing his archery skills. After all, today was the big day, the very first Ranger Gathering Clyde was so excited about. Struggling to pull the string of his recurve bow at first, he had come a long way in archery, knife throwing and many skills a Ranger needs to have.

Clyde removed his curly ginger hair from the front of his eyes, and looked at the table with two empty seats in front of the windows.

"Well, your training in the Gathering might have not started yet, but in my eyes, the trial starts now!" said Bryce with a grin, looking at the empty plates on the table, waiting to be filled.

_How exactly is this different than any other day?_ said the silent glare in the apprentice's eyes. Clyde's silence was something Bryce never understood. In fact, one of the rare moments he could recall hearing his voice was when he was about to receive his ranger horse, uttering the password with his stuttering voice.

The young apprentice, as if he had instantly turned into an aspiring chef, started chopping the ingredients he had picked from the forest just the other day. Clyde was, for some reason, also great at foraging and making medicine. Just another mystery in the pile, thought Bryce, when he first saw the boy's interesting skill set. Sometimes, it felt really unusual, to communicate with his apprentice like he would with his horse. As Bryce approvingly watched his apprentice's cooking, his mind had went into the questions within. A mentor being curious about the apprentice, instead of the opposite, was another unusual thing that he noticed just then.

Clyde had finally finished his mushroom sauté, putting the small pot onto the table, with two cups of coffee. As they ate their food in silence, there was a big, loud storm running inside their heads. After donning his Ranger clothes and his cloak on, Bryce put his long hair up into a pony tail. There were a few strands of hair covering parts of his forehead, but as long as they didn't obstruct his view, he was fine with it. Just as he was about to call Clyde, the boy who had his bag packed up with herbs, mushrooms and tonics, ran as fast as he could towards the barn. Bryce understood this little game of his apprentice, and they raced all the way to the barn.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Sorry Clyde, this old man hasn't quit yet!" said Bryce in glee, having won the race. Clyde smiled and tried to shoot a determined look at his mentor. He was ready to take on the Gathering... or so he wanted to think. To tell the truth, he was still unsure about his newly budding talents, and no amount of encouragement from his mentor could suppress his worries. After all, this would be the first time he was going to be tested by a Ranger other than his mentor, and to this date, Clyde always found the strength to keep trying from a patient and supportive Bryce.

Before he could think about it too much, Bryce had already got onto his horse.

"Come on now! You might have lost the race, but if you take this long when I got Feder by my side, you'll get left behind!" he started to ride through the path that leads to the gates. Clyde knew Bryce would never leave him behind, but he didn't wait much longer to ride on Gale, his horse and perhaps one of his closest friends. Greenfield, the Fief Bryce was appointed to, was truly a large green field lightly covered by cobblestone roads with small but sturdy houses made from fresh oak around them, and a river that flowed quite slowly, with a short wooden bridge on it. Bryce's hut was just across the river, slightly into the woods, and on the other side of the river, was the lively town square, where the two rangers suddenly appeared, heading towards the gate.

"The gathering point is not too far away, but it still would take around a day or so. I hope you are ready for camping." said Bryce, answering Clyde's questioning eyes. The silent apprentice was still worried, but he did not want to show weakness to his mentor and disappoint him. But as a seasoned Ranger, Bryce easily understood how he felt.

"Thinking about how you may fail and disappoint everybody?" Asked Bryce in his usual cheery voice. Clyde was taken by surprise and his face became a light tint of pink from the embarrassment.

_How do you know?_ Read Bryce from the astonished look of his apprentice's face.

"Of course I know. I am your mentor, and also a Ranger. Don't you think I have felt like this in your ages as well?" said Bryce. Clyde turned his face to his front and found himself agreeing with him.

_I don't know about you, but I am ready to try myself already._ Exclaimed Gale, earning himself a glare from Clyde. But deep inside, a piece of hope landed on his heart, fluttering like a butterfly, just like the ones he felt inside his stomach.

The further away they got from the Fief, the closer they got to the deep forest with tall trees, offering their soothing shadows to the tired and hungry Rangers. As the sun started to set, painting the skies in its orange color, Bryce decided that it would be best to get a rest. As their destination was pretty close, they ate their dried fruit and jerkies instead of hunting. Camping this close to the gathering was not preferred by most Rangers, because full-fledged Rangers loved to get a chance of taking their old mentors by surprise. Rangers like Bryce, were safe from such ambushes, having their one apprentice under their watch. The moon rose up slowly, and Bryce soon fell asleep, but Clyde was definitely not that relaxed, and gave himself to the sounds of the forest and the voices in his head.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Next morning came up before Clyde could get a hint of sleep. After getting ready, it was only a few hours on horseback to the gathering, which went lightning fast, as if to spite him. As Clyde looked around him, he realized that this would also be the first time he met other Rangers, excluding Bryce. He had always wondered about other apprentices and how well they take their training. I can't be the only one that is nervous, he tried to reassure himself, but he quickly remembered Bryce's words and took his first step inside the hidden campsite for the gathering.

"Oh, you finally arrived. Were you planning to join in the next year's Gathering?" a sassy voice directed to Bryce hit Clyde's ears, but he couldn't see anyone until the stranger threw his cloak off to reveal a thin, slightly short guy. His scruffy brown hair was contrasting the bright blue eyes, making his judgemental stare even more effective.

"Nice to see you too, Merlin. How are you doing?" answered Bryce, greeting the Ranger like an old friend. Clyde instantly felt like he was not a part of the conversation, but the only audience to their bickering.

"I was just about to watch over some newbies' archery training. Good thing you showed up, if it is waiting for a bunch of brats to hit a bullseye or talking to you, the latter is definitely less boring." Merlin crossed his arms, exaggerating his boredom.

"Don't be that harsh, Merlin. I remember your apprentice days, complaining just as much as you do right now." replied Bryce.

"Again with that seniority nonsense? Shouldn't you stand for equality, you big oaf? Seven years is not that much of a difference, at least, your skill with a bow tells me so." Merlin harshly countered, but before they could resume their friendly and sincere argument, several Rangers caught up to Merlin, asking him to resume his duty, and welcomed Bryce and Clyde. Feeling flustered, Clyde couldn't do more than nodding.

"I guess I should be back before they catch me again. See you later, Bry." said Merlin, but just as he was about to leave, his eyes locked onto Clyde.

"Oh, you have an apprentice already? You must love tormenting yourself. Who is this young man?" he added with a curious tone.

"I'm glad you noticed him. Look at you, talking about equality just a second ago. This is Clyde. Clyde, this is Merlin."

_Oh, really? I haven't heard_, said Clyde's annoyed stare.

"He can speak for himself, can't he?" said Merlin.

"Well..." Bryce explained Clyde's peculiar trait to Merlin, who couldn't believe his ears for a second.

"A Ranger that can't speak? Well, it isn't like a good saxe knife isn't a better conversationalist than any of us, so I think this will be pretty... interesting." He said with a creepy tone.

"I should be going, busy hours are approaching for both of us, Merlin." said Bryce, and he ended their conversation there. "Clyde, try to get comfortable around, meet new people, do all of your training. I will be back soon, okay?" He turned to Clyde and said with a soft voice. Clyde understood that his mentor wanted the best for him, and decided to put aside his worries and started exploring the campsite, until the training session started.

"Okay, mute guy. Your turn." Merlin said with the most unenthusiastic voice he could speak with. Clyde swallowed, as if there was a big lump in his throat. Then he got his gauntlets on his hands and grabbed his bow.

There were 5 sacks of sand, each tied to one of the randomly scattered poles. The goal was to pierce through all targets in quick succession. Clyde put an arrow on his bow, pulled the string, and...

"That's a miss." the arrow barely missed the farthest sack and went flying into the woods. Even more anxious than before, Clyde tried to make up for his loss in accuracy by shooting faster, and shot continuously.

"That one, this too. Missed." Merlin was getting visibly bothered, and as the distressed apprentice reached over to his quiver, he came up to Clyde and stopped him.

"Don't give into your emotions that much." said Merlin, and handed Clyde the arrows he collected from the ground. "Try again, but this time, take a deep breath and actually take aim instead of trying to please me." having been read like a book, Clyde had nothing to do but do as he was told. After a deep breath and more stable aiming, he managed to shoot all of the sacks in a row.

"Don't forget, one slow shot that actually hits is always better than five fast shots that miss. Try to build your accuracy before you worry about the speed." For a moment, the sassy, rude Merlin was gone, and the person who stood in his place was a stern, but caring teacher. At that moment, Clyde thought that he understood both archery and Merlin a little better.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

The rest of the training sessions went like a breeze for Clyde, whose worries disappeared to thin air. After a particularly great practical medicine exam he passed with flying colors, He cheerfully went back to Bryce, who had his duties finished for the day. Looking at the beautiful, pure moon hovering in the sky, Clyde truly felt at peace, at home.

"You look happy, so I won't ask you how the training went." said Bryce. "But the fact that I've heard about every single one of them might be a reason too." he smiled, looking at Clyde. "I told you that it was normal to feel like that, because everyone does. Nobody came here as an expert." Clyde turned to Bryce and gave him the biggest smile he had given in a few years. "So, keep going and train everyday, look for a way to spend each of your days to the fullest, Clyde," He went on. "Because, to become a true Ranger, you have to seize everyday. And look at you! You already conquered this one. I'm proud of you." He patted Clyde on the head.

"Thank you." said Clyde, in a small, whisper like tone, but that tone was more than a loud scream for Bryce.

Sitting under the moonlight, Bryce once again realized how nice it felt to be a mentor, and Clyde realized how nice it felt to be an apprentice, side by side.

"So, ready to seize tomorrow?"

_There is a tomorrow too?!_ Thought the exhausted apprentice to himself.


	5. Chapter 5: New Friends

It was getting darker by the minute and the curly haired apprentice was grooming his horse after the long day. He didn't ride on Gale a lot, but he just wanted an excuse to spend time with his steed. After finishing the grooming, he fed the chestnut colored horse an apple. As Gale chewed on his treat, Clyde watched with glee. He hadn't noticed his mentor was watching him from behind.

"You got used to Gale quickly, huh?" He said. Clyde turned back and smiled at Bryce.

"Good, good. Taking care of your horse is really important. I just finished taking care of Feder." continued the long haired ranger.

"Come now, let's sleep and get ready for tomorrow. You still have a few trials to go through." Clyde gave Bryce a small nod and followed him to the campsite the rangers had set beforehand. Along many other things, Clyde had learned how to control sleeping time and preserving energy in the last few weeks. It has been more than a month since he met his mentor, but he felt his life gaining more of a purpose and he realized it was getting better and better by each day.

Thinking about how much things had changed, he quickly gave in to the light breeze of autumn coupled with the tweets of the forest birds and fell asleep.

The next day started roughly for Clyde, with a diplomacy, war strategy and a practical geography exam, latter of which required good map reading skills. The silent kid tried his best in the diplomacy and war strategy exams, and could pass after spending a lot of effort on both. For the geography exam, he gathered around the instructor with other apprentices. Being asked to find the place marked on the map he was given, he could find his way through the woods scattered around the plains, but he got confused by the repeating patterns inside the forest and ended up half a mile away from the target spot.

Meeting Bryce feeling guilty, Clyde let out a small sigh. But his mentor was not mad or nearly as disappointed as he was with himself.

"That's a nice improvement Clyde, don't you remember when you couldn't tell between east and west? Keep your head up!" He lifted the face of his apprentice, who was staring at the ground in shame. When his eyes met with Bryce's, he turned his head away.

"You are spoiling him rotten again, Bry." chimed in Merlin from nowhere. Slightly startled, Clyde thought that he had a long way to go for using his camouflage effectively, as well.

"I believe it's called being encouraging, Merlin. Not everyone has to be as inconsiderate as you are." replied Bryce, glaring at him. Sensing another storm of bickering coming, Clyde silently left the pair of old friends and decided to take a stroll on his own. Since the practical exam was the last trial he had to go through, the tired apprentice thought he needed some well deserved rest. The golden rays of the afternoon sun shined through the trees, painting everything in its way into a sweet, light yellow. Clyde sat down near a tree trunk and tried to rest, until an unknown figure came and sat next to him. Turning his head to the stranger, Clyde noticed that the person in front of him was also an apprentice.

The boy had slightly long blond hair that was so fair it could barely count as white. He was slightly taller than Clyde, and had brown eyes that sparkled in the sunlight. After examining the stranger's looks, Clyde wondered what exactly this person wanted from him, but before he could muster the strength to ask, the blond boy started talking.

"Hey, you are the apprentice of ranger Bryce, right?" He asked, getting nothing more than a nod for an answer.

"I'm glad to meet you. My name is Glade and I am the apprentice of ranger Jacob. Our mentors know each other, I think?" He said with a curious tone. Clyde suddenly felt overwhelmed by this talkative person, so he kept his silence.

"Hey, I know this is sudden, but... What do you think being a ranger means?" said Glade with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Um... it's..." Clyde had never thought of something like that before, but thinking about the best thing about being a ranger, the warm companionship came to his mind.

"You don't have an answer? That's fine." Glade smirked to a confused Clyde.

"For me, being a Ranger means to sacrifice." He said with excitement. "For another ranger's sake, I would give anything, even my life. To me, being a ranger is a privilege. You can see that too, right?" Clyde had no idea what this stranger was talking about, but despite feeling creeped out, he couldn't lie about his life starting to improve right after he agreed to be an apprentice.

"Haha, you are a really good listener. People usually leave after my first sentence." said the creepy apprentice. "Your name is Clyde, right? I promise I won't forget that." Glade stood up and greeted his mentor, who had just arrived.

"Glade, you weren't supposed to sneak away like that. Don't make things difficult for us." said the annoyed mentor. He must be that Jacob, Clyde thought.

"My apologies, Sir! I'll pay for this mistake!" Glade gave his mentor a bow. Jacob let out a big sigh.

"What am I going to do with you... First of all, drop the 'Sir' already. We've talked about it. Also, I don't want you to pay with your blood or anything. How hard is it to make a simple apology?" burst the mentor. Then he turned to Clyde and eyed the ginger haired apprentice for a moment.

"You must be Bryce's. Send my regards to him, won't you? Also, I apologize on behalf of Glade. He really is not a bad kid." He concluded the argument and took Glade with him. Clyde felt confused, but it felt good to interact with a new person in his ages for a change. He returned to Bryce, who had been waiting for him.

"Ah, There you are. You ran away, didn't you? It's fine." He said before Clyde could apologize. "I know Merlin and I can get a bit annoying when around each other. Just don't get out of the settlement."

As they took a stroll together, Clyde decided to talk about Jacob and his apprentice, Glade.

"You met Jacob? He was a friend of mine from my days of being an apprentice. What's his apprentice like?" asked the curious mentor. Clyde couldn't tell much about that part, for he didn't exactly know, either.

Watching the sun slowly start fading, Bryce looked around and turned to Clyde.

"It is about time for the meeting. There isn't anything you can do there, so why don't you talk to other apprentices? We need to know each other better as rangers, right?" He said, patting Clyde on the head and leaving for the meeting.

Now that he was alone, Clyde didn't have much to do besides wandering around the campsite. That was until he heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Hey, Clyde! Come with me for a second." It was none other than Glade.


	6. Chapter 6: Getting in Trouble

"This is important, nobody batted an eye when I told them, but I know you will!" the excited apprentice approached Clyde.

"The rangers found a Genovesan camp nearby while they were scouting! But they said the Genovesans couldn't find the settlement and that we would end the gathering soon anyway. But isn't that a mistake? We could be missing a big chance here!" he continued on speaking, taking and giving breaths quickly. Clyde couldn't understand what was the chance they missed and didn't know much about Genovesans either, but before he could react, he got hit by another series of comments from the blond ranger.

"You know that messenger that was barely saved in your Fief, right? Her message was meant for my mentor Jacob. It was a serious warning I can't tell anyone about, but the point here is..." He took another deep breath. "The point here is that I think us two should scout the area and report their plans!"

Clyde was startled by the sudden request. Not only this person he barely met was inviting him to some sort of mission, Clyde was sure it would be rejected by the mentors.

"B-but..." He could only say one word before Glade started speaking again.

"I know, I know! We shouldn't act by ourselves, but nobody cared when I asked them for help. They all think we should be hiding until the gathering ends. Well, what if we miss them?" Clyde couldn't object to his reasoning, nor did he think he could change Glade's mind. He was just concerned about doing something without Bryce's knowledge, but he knew Glade would get in trouble if he told anyone, and he didn't want the person who might be his new friend to be hurt either. Stuck in a dilemma, he ended up following Glade through the path that goes out of the campsite and rode on Gale.

"You look pretty tense. Are you afraid I might throw you off? I won't do that." said the trusty ranger horse.

"Come on Pegasus, let's go." said Glade. The white ranger horse he just jumped on started to head towards a road Clyde was not familiar with. Feeling more anxious by the minute, Clyde rode on Gale and followed the stubborn apprentice through the plains that followed after the woods that hid the rangers.

"Wh-where are we... going?" said Clyde, forcing himself to talk. He had realized that Glade wouldn't know where to go even if he knew about the campsite.

"It is marked on my map. I copied it from the map on the desk while everyone was away at the meeting." Clyde didn't even know if what the blond apprentice said was possible, but he had already went with him, and he felt like it was too late to object.

As they kept riding, Clyde started to feel thirsty. The journey to the camp was taking far too long for the two young apprentices to avoid being noticed, and he grew more restless as he watched Glade carefully peek at the map he supposedly copied and look into another forest that was larger than the one they left from. Finally, Glade lightly pulled the reins of his horse and upon seeing that they had arrived to their target, so did Clyde.

"This place is just the spot to hide the horses. They can alert us if someone comes by." said Glade, then he walked over to a nearby bush and peeked through the dense forest to find a trace of the campsite to follow. Clyde looked around himself. The forest was eerily silent, and with the last traces of the sun disappearing, the towering trees that surround the pair of apprentices had produced shades that blocked their view.

Clyde felt shivers coming up his spine. It was getting cold and the creepy feeling of the dark forest didn't help at all. Watching Glade, he noticed that he had already started to move. Scared to be alone, Clyde walked right after him.

"We won't be noticed in the shades. Tread carefully." Glade warned Clyde. Thankfully, Bryce had taught him well when it came to the arts of staying hidden. The thick forest slowly opened up in the middle, and revealed the hidden Genovesan camp to the boys.

Glade moved towards the camp and signaled Clyde to stand there. Clyde felt even more anxious, seeing him slowly approach the tents. Glade crawled through the tents and looked around. There was a big central tent that was likely where the leader of the camp was staying. Continuing his path, Glade reached the central tent with ease, avoiding the glance of the Genovesans patrolling the camp. Suddenly, he stopped and wrapped his cloak around him, disappearing from sight. However, Clyde could still see him, and was sure he was eavesdropping on a conversation. Suddenly, some people rose up and rushed to the back of the tent and Clyde's heart skipped a beat. Luckily, Glade has already been gone. Looking around, Clyde almost screamed when Glade touched his shoulder from behind.

"Come on Clyde, you ought to be more observant. It's not like a ranger to miss another ranger's movements." Clyde turned his back to find Glade smiling at him.

"You!.." said Clyde, with a mixture of annoyance and relief, and sighed deeply.

"You won't believe what I just heard. I knew it! I knew visiting here was worth it. My mentor Jacob will be glad to hear the news. And I'll mention you, too! Thanks for having my back." He kept talking with excitement. Clyde didn't really like being excessively praised, and was more interested in the information Glade had just received. But as he was about to talk, he felt the presence of something... something dangerous. Reflexively, he shoved the talkative apprentice in the middle of his words, and a sharp arrow stabbed the ground where he stood a second ago.

Looking at the arrow in horror, Glade had noticed that not only they were noticed, but they were probably surrounded. Looking around, he noticed three men with purple clothes hidden inside the bushes. He took his bow and arrow in a flash and shot an arrow towards the Genovesans. The arrow hit the assassin in the thigh, and as he screamed in pain, Glade held the hand of a startled Clyde and yelled "Let's bolt!". Clyde didn't make him repeat, and the apprentices ran right back towards their horses. However the path to the horses was suddenly blocked by the men in purple as well.

Clyde and Glade both shot their arrows, but they missed, and their targets were too close to shoot anymore. Drawing their throwing knives, they resorted to fight back with them, but the cruel truth was the nimbleness of the professional assassins were too much compared to the small amount of training they had. Cornered by six Genovesans, Clyde and Glade stood there, breathing heavily. The one they presumed was the leader stepped forward.

"You nosy children have a lot of nerve, crawling around our tents. I would ask you to explain yourselves, but I'm afraid I eavesdropped to your little chit chat and decided you were not mere trespassers." seeing the dark smile on the face of the leader with a five o'clock shadow, Clyde didn't think they would survive even as mere trespassers.

"Now, you would have died more than thrice by the time we took to corner you, but as you can understand... We value information as much as you do." He took out a coin and placed it in Clyde's hand. Clyde noticed that he was shaking violently. Memories of the past filled his mind, and his legs felt weak. Glade was glaring to the men in purple, but he also felt scared. The cruel leader continued talking.

"Now. You flip the coin, if it hits heads, you die. If it hits tails, I'm afraid your little friend has to die instead. And the other one shall give us all the information we need." he let out a small laugh. Clyde's hand was still shaking. Glade fearfully looked at him. Feeling the weight of both of their lives, the ginger haired apprentice finally fell on his knees from the intense feeling.

"FLIP IT!" The leader screamed. Clyde backed away, but there was no room to back away into. The cruel man grabbed him by his collar and lifted him up.

"Fine. If you don't want to play, then you lose." He took out his knife, and as soon as he did, an big arrow hit him right in the chest with a loud noise, poking out from his back, killing him before he could even make a noise. Clyde fell onto the ground, and ran back to Glade in terror. More and more arrows appeared and rained down on the Genovesans, until every person in the area except Glade and Clyde was shot with so many that they looked like pin cushions. Suddenly, a tall figure came out of the bushes. It's Bryce, Clyde thought, and he immediately felt relieved. But he didn't notice the tears falling from his eyes, and Glade who stood right next to him, breathing heavily.

Bryce wrapped his arms around his shocked apprentice, and stroked his back as he kept crying. Jacob also came and started looking through Glade's body for any wounds, then hugged him fiercely and let him go just as quickly. Merlin walked over to them and shook his head, failing to understand the panic.

"Come on, let's go, Bryce. You too, Jacob. We need to tell everyone what happened." Said Merlin, with an annoyed tone.

"You can move, right, Clyde?" Bryce asked to Clyde, who nodded and stood up. Glade and Jacob also rose up and they started walking back to the horses.

"This is a disgrace. What are we even going to tell them? What will Gordon say?" Merlin started ranting. Gordon, the head ranger, was adamant about the rules of the rangers, and also disliked disobedient apprentices.

"We will talk this through once we get back. Gordon can wait." said Jacob. Still startled, Clyde and Glade kept silent. Bryce also kept silent, and they headed back to the gathering after riding on their horses.


	7. Chapter 7: Proof

"What were you thinking!? I knew you were a bit adventurous, but how will you explain yourself this time?" yelled Jacob at Glade. Glade bowed down and spoke in a monotone voice.

"I'm sorry, Jacob. It was all my fault. A-and please keep Clyde out of this. I swayed him into doing this. I am the one who needs the punishment." He talked while breathing quickly.

"Clearly." said Jacob shortly, trying to contain his temper.

"What do you mean, keep him out of it? He agreed and went with you. When it comes to blame, he takes as much as you do!" said Merlin in a harsh tone. Glade went silent and so did Jacob. The short tempered ranger was still breathing heavily. Bryce looked at Clyde, but he avoided his stare. He was already ashamed, and didn't want to see the disappointment in his mentor's eyes. He could go through whatever punishment they give, but not the disappointment.

"W should go see Gordon now. You wait here until we return, we can go back to our Fiefs after that." Bryce said calmly. Glade and Clyde waited for the three seasoned rangers to come back. Glade looked at Clyde with an apologetic stare, but Clyde didn't want to see that, either. After a few uncomfortable minutes, Bryce and Jacob came back. With no apprentice to take care of, Merlin had already been gone. Jacob silently took Glade and left after waving Bryce goodbye apathetically. Bryce waved back, and took Clyde's hand, walking towards their horses to return home.

After they arrived, it was almost morning. Barely even getting any rest, the tired ranger and his apprentice entered the hut and placed their belongings. Bryce shut the door and grabbed a broom leaning onto the oak wall. Seeing him, Clyde's freckled face went white, then into a bluish color. He suddenly fell on his knees and backed away into a corner, shaking.

"Clyde, are you alright?" Bryce couldn't understand what was going on. Clyde looked at the broom in Bryce's hand. Upon realizing that, Bryce put the broom back. "I was just going to sweep the floor. I thought you'd be too tired." The look on Clyde face didn't change. Bryce slowly approached Clyde, but as soon as he touched him, he entered into a state od panic.

"G-gah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He started shouting.

"Clyde, it's okay, I'm not mad. We can talk about it calmly." said Bryce, trying to calm him down, but he soon noticed that it was not something related to yesterday's events.

"P-please don't hit me! I'll do what you say! I-I just..." Clyde kept going on. Bryce slowly stroked Clyde's head and held his hand.

"It's okay, Clyde. I'm here. I won't hurt you. I won't let them hurt you. It's okay, it's okay..." Clyde started to breathe at a slower rate, and stopped mumbling afterwards. He closed his eyes and unconsciously leaned onto Bryce.

"Are you okay now?" said Bryce, standing up. Taking his hand, Clyde slowly rose up and nodded, staring at the ground. He felt more ashamed than before, and didn't want to say a word.

"Go sleep now. We'll talk later, you and I both lack the energy." said Bryce, and walked Clyde over to his bedroom. As he was about to leave, Clyde tugged his clothes. "A-am I still... your apprentice?" He said, looking at Bryce with gloomy eyes.

"Of course you are." He gently patted Clyde's back and the young apprentice went inside his room. Making sure he is asleep, Bryce went back to the living room and sat on the chair he pulled in front of the small chimney facing to the front of the window, taking a note out of his pocket.

"Bryce, this sort of behaviour is unacceptable for an apprentice. As he is yours, I don't have a say in the matter directly, but know that he failed the exams and lost his chance to get the bronze leaf. I advise you leave him to do a more suitable job." As he read the note from the Head Ranger again, he sighed deeply, tore it apart until the note became a pile of trash, and threw it all into the chimney, to fuel the coffee pot's heat.

After Clyde woke up, he changed his clothes and took a shower before walking into the living room that smelled like fresh coffee and toast. Bryce had prepared an early lunch for him. He did not know for how long he had slept, but he felt horrible regardless. He sat in front of Bryce and started nibbling on his toasted bread after putting some jam on it, but stopped eating after a few minutes and sighed, looking at the half eaten toast. The mentor, whose plate was untouched, looked at Clyde, and started speaking.

"Clyde, I was worried." He took a breath and continued. "What did you think would happen if we didn't notice you were missing? You're still too young! The only reason we were upset was because we care about you. It is not because of some silly rule or a military discipline. I..." He stopped talking and looked at a sobbing Clyde.

"I'm sorry... I wanted to... I just wanted to help." He said, while sniffing.

"I know. Just... let us know first. Don't be afraid of me. I know I tell you time and again but still-"

"I'm not afraid..." Clyde interrupted. "I... After Uncle... only you want me around."

Bryce was piecing things together, but he didn't feel like digging through the boy's past. "Your uncle..." As he started to talk, the gloomy apprentice looked away. "You don't need to talk about it. Just know that I'll be by your side. You can trust me, you can talk to me. I promise to do my best for you, Clyde." Bryce said reassuringly. After a few days, perhaps that was the first time Clyde, in the full meaning of the word, smiled.

"Now, don't think a bit of early sleep will save you from today's training! Are you going to finish that toast or not?" Bryce returned to more routine, more relaxed topics, bringing the calm feeling over to his apprentice too.

"I'll... I'll do my best!"

After a long day of riding, hiding and shooting training, Clyde and Bryce returned to the hut, ready to relax over a cup of coffee. Bryce watched Clyde place the coffee pot over the charred twigs in the chimney, and took out the messages he received from the pigeons earlier that day. One was addressed for himself, the other one was for Clyde.

Clyde took the letter Bryce handed to him after preparing the coffee.

"Dear Clyde, please forgive me for yesterday, it was entirely my fault. I failed as a ranger and deserve to feel horrible. But you don't, so feel good for me too! Also, you really are the only person who listens to me, so please keep being a friend. Best regards, Glade." Reading the letter, Clyde felt a strange, but happy feeling. Could it be friendship? He wondered. Then he looked over to Bryce, who had finished to read his letter. He turned to Clyde with a serious look on his face.

"Clyde, this is urgent. There are news about the Genovesans and I need to go investigate around Redmont with Jacob." He said. Excited, Clyde was about to ask for more details, but Bryce continued on.

"You can't come, Clyde. I'm sorry, but it is far too dangerous. You saw the assassins yourself, I can't let you in a mission like this for your first." He concluded. But Clyde was looking at Bryce with a determined face.

"My decision won't change, so don't look at me with those eyes." He reacted to Clyde's stare changing to a begging look.

"Only after you strike a tree a hundred times consecutively can you prove that you are skilled enough for this mission." said Bryce. Clyde knew that meant it was impossible for him to go. Bryce sighed and started gathering his items.

"I'll be going to patrol the town now. Then I'll return to take Feder and I'll meet with Jacob. Don't leave the town, alright?" He left the hut. Clyde went to the training spot and sat on a tree stump, not feeling good enough to try foraging or making any medicine. Looking around, his eyes locked onto the target mark on the nearby tree.

It was nearly midnight when Bryce finally returned, and when he opened the wooden door of the hut, he saw nobody in it. Looking for Clyde, he went over to the training spot, and saw the apprentice shooting arrows, one after another, and scoring a bullseye each time. From the heavy arrow marks on the slightly bent tree and the batch of arrows on the floor, Bryce understood that none of them missed. Not noticing his mentor, Clyde kept shooting and shooting, while sweat constantly dripped from his face. Getting closer, Bryce heard the young apprentice's mumbling.

"Ninety eight... ninety... nine..." He started panting heavily. But he shook his head, took his aim and hit another bullseye.

"One.. hundred..." He dropped on his knees and started laughing. "I did it! One hundred! I didn't... miss..." He almost fainted, but kept awake, struggling to walk over to the tree stump to get a quick rest. Watching him, Bryce almost felt a tear come trickling down his face. He walked over to his apprentice and sat next to him on the grass.

"You actually did that? Why did you do it?" Bryce asked.

"Bryce..." Clyde finally noticed his mentor.

"If I make it to hundred, I can go..."

"But you know I said it because-"

"I can go... You said that!" Clyde interrupted. Looking at his apprentice's begging eyes, Bryce let out a big sigh.

"Okay, you win. Now come."

"T-thank you!" Clyde happily started running towards the hut, but his mentor pulled him close and put his arm on his shoulder.

"I'm proud of you." said Bryce.

"Hehe... I'm... really glad." Clyde smiled at Bryce. Watching him gleefully run to the hut, with no trace of weariness, the mentor once again felt surprised at how fast the kid in front of him grew up mentally, how he opened up to people by time and...

"Heh." Bryce chuckled.

And of course, how to emotionally manipulate him.


	8. Chapter 8: Interruption

The sun had already risen up, and under the bright, clear fields several miles away from Greenfield, Bryce and Clyde were riding their horses towards their mission. His hair scattering off his face from a mild breeze, the tall ranger mumbled to himself.

"From the moment I met those Genovesans, I should have known..." He looked at the wide open plains that would soon leave itself to a rough terrain filled with small hills according to the map in his hands. The path that went inside the cluster of hills were the shortest route from Greenfield to Redmont.

Seeing his mentor deep in thought, Clyde couldn't help but feel curious about his thoughts.

"Bryce?" He uttered hesitantly.

"Hm, what is it, Clyde?" replied the mentor, snapped out of his deep thoughts.

"Genovesans..." Clyde once again started speaking after taking a deep breath.

"Genovesans? Those are the assassins we faced last time. I had encountered a couple before. I should have guessed about their plan." Bryce once again eyed the map in his hands.

"The plan?" Clyde tilted his head curiously. He had thought that the so called assassins were just street thugs of some sort. However, considering Bryce's words, he was apparently mistaken.

"Well, the plan is... Those kind of assassins don't actually make plans, they just follow their client's and take their payment afterwards. That's why a big group of Genovesans just camping over that place is abnormal." Bryce tried to explain. But Clyde was sensing he was avoiding a subject on purpose.

"The plan is?" He once again asked.

Bryce sighed deeply. "You won't give up, will you? Well, at least I can tell that you are more curious than usual."

"Their plan is to assassinate the king."

Clyde went silent, even more so than usual.

"I'm sure he gets targeted once a week." Gale chimed in. Clyde didn't respond, but a chat between the ranger horses had already begun.

"Poor King, doesn't even get to rest like Bryce." Feder said.

"Hush, both of you!" Bryce silenced both horses. "There is no time for jokes."

"No time to play, no time for jokes... What a killjoy." Gale flipped his mane over.

"Such is the life of a ranger horse..." Feder replied with a sorrowful look. Bryce, once again, sighed deeply.

"This will be a long journey, Clyde. I hope you don't mind the horse chatter."

Clyde smiled at Bryce, then looked at the distance searching for hills. With no sight of any, the journey was definitely going to be a long one.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Don't move, or we're done for." Jacob whispered to his apprentice, covering behind a large mossy tree that had its bark cracked. The Genovesan camp was nearby, and one faulty move could cost the mentor and the apprentice their life.

Glade wrapped his cloak around his body and stood still like Jacob had teached him. He could hear the footsteps of a patrol group almost next to them. Struggling to not breathe quickly, he suppressed his emotions and looked at Jacob for a lead. His mentor had a habit of scratching his hay colored beard whenever he thought of something, but he couldn't afford to move, so Glade couldn't understand if he was thinking of a plan or not. Looking around him, there were patrol groups behind them as well, completely surrounding the duo.

Still leaning his back towards the tree, Jacob signaled Glade to quickly advance to the other side of the path while avoiding the sight of the patrollers, who were currently out of sight. Glade moved silently and managed to cross the grass path that lead to the other half of the small woods around the assassin camp. He's safe now, thought Jacob. The horses were waiting in that half of the woods, so his apprentice could save his own life should they need to flee. As their objective was to keep the assassins on check, Jacob couldn't leave his spot. Should any of them leave the camp and ride to Redmont, he needed to prevent their exit by all means necessary. A group that large could pose a serious threat to the King.

Suddenly, one of the assassins approached the concealed apprentice slowly, having thought that he saw a movement inside the woods. Even if the assassin had one step between him and the blond kid, Glade tried to keep silent and to stand still. Looking closer, the patroller shrugged and turned his back. Glade got relaxed and almost let a big sigh out, but that was a big mistake. The Genovesan suddenly turned around, having caught the apprentice unprepared. Jacob saw the situation unfold and silently grabbed his bow. The patrol group from before was returning to the camp using the same exit, and hearing their footsteps, Jacob felt uneasy. The Genovesan that noticed Glade's movements slowly walked over and hovered his hands over Glade's short body, barely hearing the boy's racing heartbeats ringing through his ears. Suddenly, his hands touched the green fabric of the cloak, and Glade's disguise was no more. Jacob took a deep breath.

I knew I should have said no to him, he thought, as he raised his bow and took aim. The skirmish that he had foreseen was about to start.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

It has been around a couple of days since the mentor-apprentice duo had embarked on their journey from Greenfield to Redmont. Feeling well rested from the camp they set up last night, the ginger haired apprentice was in a good mood. The same could be said for Bryce, but the shaggy bearded mentor was still tense deep inside. He was feeling like something was off, but couldn't put his finger on it.

"Um... Redmont..." Clyde mumbled. He was obviously curious about the Fief. Bryce had much to tell about it, but the tense feeling didn't let him speak for too long.

"Redmont is Jacob's Fief. It has a beautiful view, especially the castle. You should see those three towers forming it, quite the architecture." Said Bryce, then he awkwardly went silent.

"I-is Glade?.." Clyde kept on asking questions.

"Yes, he probably lives here with Jacob. Just like how you live in Greenfield with me." Bryce replied while scratching his head, taking another peek at the map in his hands. That something that made him feel worried...

"Ugh, of course! I should have thought of that, too!" He sparked up, startling Clyde. The tall ranger had suddenly realized that the abnormality was the marked place of the Genovesan camp.

"Bryce?.." Clyde uttered with a concerned voice.

"I'm sorry, Clyde. I was deep in thought." Bryce apologised. "While we secured the festival area as the King came to visit, Jacob was supposed to be stalking the Genovesan camps to prevent them from advancing. But I noticed that the camp was placed in a really weird position, directly on a path surrounded with woods everywhere but in the middle."

Listening to his mentor's explanation, Clyde didn't understand his point. Where was the abnormality?

"What's... weird?" He shyly asked.

"Well, for starters, they have patrol groups, but none of them go inside the woods while patrolling. Also, the camp is set in a noticable path, not very careful for assassins like them. I think they keep their main forces in the woods."

"That's... Is it?.." Clyde asked with a whitened face. He hoped that he had guessed it wrong but sadly, the mentor's answer was exactly what he thought of.

"It's a trap set for Jacob. I should have noticed..." Bryce set his eyes on the ground. He was ashamed he couldn't perform his duty in the fullest way, and he was really concerned for his friend. An uncomfortable silence filled the air for the next few minutes. Even Gale and Feder were not disturbing it.

"I... I trust them." Clyde said with a shaking voice. If Bryce could think of it, so should Jacob, he thought. He didn't want to believe otherwise.

"Yeah, I do too." Bryce looked at Clyde, and finally teared his eyes away from the map.

"We'll have to do our duty now. Ever seen a festival?" The mentor returned to his upbeat personality.

Clyde shook his head, as he had only heard of them before.

"You'll be surprised to see how crowded a town square can truly get. That's why our primary objective is to find a good spot to observe the event." Bryce explained. Clyde nodded and with his mentor's signal, they started going faster on their horses. The apprentice lifted his freckled face up and saw Redmont appear on the horizon. They were almost there.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Upon arrival, Clyde really understood what his mentor said: The town square was brimming with people and stands, so much that he couldn't figure out where to step. With his tall and imposing figure, Bryce was able to easily carve through the crowds. Clyde held onto his mentor's cloak and went through the town square with him.

"The King..." He mumbled.

"He surely will arrive soon, with Gordon on his side." Bryce replied.

"Gordon?"

"Don't you recall? He is the Head Ranger. The king must have invited him." He replied again.

"This festival is when the nobles and peasants find common ground. In the town square, as you talk to each other and listen to bards' songs, seeing the King from up close, it unites these people, no matter who they are." Bryce felt nostalgic as his apprentice days with Jacob came to mind. Despite being older than him and technically being in charge, he had never left Jacob's side in festivals, because his friend always knew where to have fun. Looking into Clyde's eyes, he hoped that one day, his apprentice would get to enjoy such small yet memorable moments with his friends.

Finally making it out of the crowd, Bryce and Clyde both used their cloaks to stay hidden. Scanning the crowds and everywhere around, they searched for traces of the assassins, but they apparently haven't arrived yet. Good, thought Bryce. Their appearance would guarantee Jacob's failure.

Finally, appearing on the big wooden stage set directly to the front of the crowd was the King and the Head Ranger, greeting the crowd and looking around. The King's simple clothing made him look more like a peasant than a king, excluding the silver crown sitting on top of his head. Perhaps this was the point, thought Clyde. It made the King look more sympathetic to the common folk. As they went on a long speech about unity of people and the importance of the festival, Bryce and Clyde looked around the stage and the crowds, but there was still no Genovesans. The Head Ranger, Gordon, was also searching through the place from where he stood, yet he also failed to see anything. As the speech neared its end, Bryce whispered to his apprentice.

"Okay, we don't have much time left. Either they didn't come, or we need to check deeper."

Better safe than sorry, thought Bryce, and they snuck behind the stage to take a different look.

The speech finally ended, and the villagers started scattering to their own jobs, while the nobles formed groups of several people and each group walked down the alley, returning home. It was over without an attempt, the duo thought as they waited on the back stage. Bryce was relaxed to see nothing happened, but was still on guard regardless. Clyde took a deep breath and stretched. Finally, the King came down the stage with his guards and got ready to leave the Fief. After that, The Head Ranger started climbing down the stage. As soon as he took his first step, Clyde felt something inside, just like that painful, tense feeling Bryce went through. His body moved without thinking, and Clyde jumped over the stage.

"C-careful!" He tackled Gordon, and before he was stabbed by the arrow that would strike the Head Ranger had he not intervened, Bryce pulled him off the stage and the arrow barely missed the surface of his skin. Through the co-ordinated reflexes of the apprentice and the mentor, the assassination attempt was foiled.

"Found you." Suddenly, a threatening voice rose up from outside the stage. A sharp arrow flew and struck a Genovesan right in the chest, and the assassin, who hid above the rooftop of an inn, rolled down the roof and hit the floor.

"I told you Bryce, you forget to look up." The familiar voice echoed through the alley.

"Jacob!" Bryce ran towards the slim ranger and embraced him.

"I should have thought of the obvious trap. I'm so sorry." said the tall ranger.

"It's fine, I had already sorted that out. You tend to be a bit air headed at times, Bryce." Jacob lightly poked his friend in the chest.

"What in the name of..." Just coming to his senses, Gordon walked over to the trio of rangers.

"Ah, now that I think of it..." Bryce paused for a moment. "Clyde, how did you know they would shoot Gordon first?"

The ginger haired apprentice shrugged and replied quickly.

"I felt it."

Gordon turned over to the young apprentice and put his hand over his shoulder.

"Young man... No, Clyde." He corrected himself. "I surely have underestimated you." He said, then he turned to Bryce and whispered: "You did the right choice."

"I know." said Bryce, smiling.

The King had already left, and so did Gordon, right after the assassination attempt. As that just meant more paperwork for him.

"He has left, hasn't he?" asked Jacob.

"Yes, he did." Bryce replied. "Why?"

"There was something I had to announce in private."

"I-is it bad?" Clyde stuttered.

Jacob sighed deeply.

"They caught Glade."


	9. Chapter 9: Chase

"They took him!?" The tall ranger was caught in surprise. Glade, despite being a little strange, was actually a competent apprentice.

"It's... Nevermind. We need to search for him and the campsite he is taken to. We can't afford to lose even a second." Jacob was saying one sentence after another, strangely reminding Clyde of his friend.

"Are you sure he is taken to a campsite? Perhaps they..." Bryce stopped in the middle of speaking, refusing to consider the alternative to taking Glade hostage. Clyde caught onto his idea too, and started breathing heavily. There really was no time to talk.

"Get the horses. I'll explain on the road." Jacob cut the conversation short.

The trio barely had any rest that day, and it seemed like they were far, far away from a night's rest. Riding on Gale, Clyde forced his eyelids to stay open.

"If you are tired, just leave the travel to me. Take a nap on the saddle." Gale was either poking fun to Clyde, or seriously presenting a suggestion. Clyde decided on the former and made a small noise akin to a sigh.

Bryce was constantly shifting his eyes over to the tired apprentice as he looked towards their path with his blue eyes, thinking he wouldn't notice, but Clyde was aware of it and was grateful for his mentor's concern. Still, at this tense moment, he could only think of Glade's situation. It wasn't like he was acquainted with him for long, yet still, he felt a connection between him and the energetic apprentice. Perhaps it was because of how lonely he had felt before meeting Bryce, that everyone he met afterwards felt closer to him than usual.

"So, will you explain, Jacob? Why is he taken to the camp?"

Hearing Bryce's deep voice ring in his ears, Clyde's train of thought disappeared.

"These assassins aren't your usual Genovesans." replied the blond ranger.

"They are out for blood, but also for information. An apprentice like Glade would be a big chance for them." He continued.

"Glade... would talk?" Clyde couldn't believe the headstrong boy would give out valuable information to a pack of murderers.

"He won't. That's why I'm..." Jacob exhaled loudly and slightly tilted his head down.

"Curse the mentor who agreed to take him to the damned mission!" He said in a stern voice.

"If it's going to make you feel better, I did the same mistake as you." Bryce forced a smile to his old friend.

"M-mistake?" Clyde whispered, offended.

"Apprentices, am I right?" Jacob blurted out in an annoyed tone and went silent, turning his head around and checking a map he took out from his bag.

"Where... are we going?" Clyde said curiously.

"We are going to the last camp we saw. They should have moved away by now, but if we can see a trace of Glade, that would suffice." Bryce shortly explained to his apprentice.

As the horses' hooves made noises only the rangers could hear, they kept riding through the path moving away from Redmont and into the campsite between the woods. But it was getting late, as they left Redmont almost in the evening. The moon slowly rose up in the dark skies and shone a sweet light on the land. Clyde was at his limit, and felt his eyes close against his will.

"You can rest on your horse, Clyde." Said his mentor, looking at the tired apprentice with concern. Clyde was taught by him on sleeping on demand, and knew he needed rest, so the young apprentice tried to put his worries away and get a short rest. Before he knew it, he had given himself to the clutches of sleep.

"Talk, you rascal! Nobody will come for you, so if you don't spill it, you're dead meat!" a figure clad in purple yelled at Glade, cracking the whip in his hands.

"I..." the fair skinned apprentice coughed and wheezed, desperate for clean air, water, food and anything he could think of at the moment.

"I'm a ranger! I won't say a thing to a pathetic peacock like you!" He screamed with the last of his energy. A whistling whip hit him and blood trickled down from the new cut on his face.

"If you didn't have any knowledge, I would love to kill you as a whimpering pile of flesh. So don't tempt me, runt." The cruel assassin kicked Glade in his gut and walked away.

The young apprentice took deep breaths and thought about washing his face with the cup of water he was provided, but he felt too thirsty to waste his water on cleaning. Drinking all of the water, he gave a deep breath and looked at the starry skies above him.

"I'm waiting for you, my mentor... I'll never say a word, even if they kill me!" The blond apprentice closed his eyes and decided to take a nap to preserve his energy. The leather shackles on his hands and feet were disturbing him, but he could forced himself to crawl to the empty sacks they have given him. Using the sacks as a blanket, he closed his eyes and instantly went to sleep.

Clyde woke up with a warning from Gale, and looked around him in panic. He saw Bryce and Jacob beside him and sighed in relief.

"We're being followed." The mentor spoke in a whispery voice. Understanding the warning he got from the ranger horse, Clyde stroked Gale's mane and looked straight forward, as if he was unaware of their pursuers. As Bryce taught him, if he were to turn around and look for them, the hidden aggressor would understand they were noticed. However, even without the sight, the young apprentice could hear an unfamiliar sound around him, like hooves hitting the soil beneath, harder than a ranger horse would. He knew that to their right, behind the bushes of the forest, there was an assassin following them, looking for the perfect moment to strike.

However, the first strike had come from the rangers. Bryce suddenly threw the strikers he had prepared in his hands to the ominous figure, and the sound of cold, hard metal was heard soon after. Coming out of the bushes beside them, the Genovesan that just had his crossbow fly away from his hands took another loaded crossbow in his hands and aimed at Bryce. However, he was too late. A throwing knife thrown by Jacob distracted the purple clothed assassin, and he could not shoot the tall mentor.

Clyde didn't know what to do, not being taught to fight on horseback, he couldn't di anything, but he wanted to help his allies. Suddenly, looking at his salve bag, he had an idea.

The assassin changed his speed constantly, as to throw off the horseback rangers, disrupting their accuracy. Little did he know, the problem was not him being hard to shoot, but that the seasoned rangers wanted to interrogate the assassin.

Quickly, Clyde placed one of his arrows in Bryce's hands.

"Please, use this!" He looked at Bryce with a determined face, and pointed at the thigh of the assassin's horse.

Thinking the apprentice idea was to cripple the horse, Bryce was not sure whether to trust his apprentice with the plan or not, but after looking at his begging face, Bryce sighed.

"Alright." The mentor took the arrow and shot it with precision. As the Genovesan was shifting his speed, the horse was suddenly struck on its thigh by the arrow and it panicked, running away from the rangers against its master's orders, into the bushes.

"Bryce, what are you thinking!?" Jacob yelled. "We lost him!"

Chasing the assassin, who could bring others with him or lead them into a trap or lure them away from Glade, would be risky at this point. It would also make them spend precious time.

"Well, Clyde, I hope your plan was a good one." Said Bryce. He made the choice of trusting his apprentice, and thought he wouldn't hand him his own arrow without any point to it.

"Plan? What plan? We just missed an opportunity." Jacob glared at the ginger haired apprentice.

"B-but..." Clyde was afraid of getting scolded again, but got courage from his mentor and continued speaking.

"The arrow... was coated." He explained shortly.

"Coated with what, exactly?" Jacob said, in a tense mood.

Clyde took out a small bottle filled with some sort of cloudy, white liquid.

"Um, this makes... It makes manure white." Said the apprentice, stuttering.

"I see, I see!" Bryce caught onto the idea.

"If that's so, should we follow the white manure, it will lead us right to the camp that assassin resides at." He concluded.

"What in the..." Jacob was left speechless.

"Where did you even learn this?"

"Um..." Clyde looked down.

"My Uncle."


	10. Chapter 10: Memories

The glourious sunlight shone on the Redmont Castle's triple towers, slowly turning the skies into a calm, familiar purple color. As people slowly walked back towards their houses, the crowd filling the town center was scattering by the second, and everyone longed to take a break in their cozy beds with their family. The sun went down, once again, and now the only thing lighting up the once lively alleys was the light of the tavern coming out of the windows.

In the silence of the night, nobody could hear the tiny footsteps of the small figure swiftly going through the streets, mixing into shadows, out of sight. Running out of the town, into the woods, through the fresh smell of the night life and the bush covered paths, the boy leaned onto a tree and took a few breaths. He turned his head over to check if the guards heard him, but as he expected, there was no one. Releasing a sigh of relief, the blond haired kid walked down the remaining path and welcomed himself to a small spot that was not overridden by trees, because it was housing someone else. Someone much more important. Scanning the field in front of him, the brown eyes of the kid located the hut of the person he was looking for. He walked towards the oak door of the hut, took one last, deep breath and knocked on the wooden surface of the door.

Not even a second later, a blond man with a green cape opened the door and eyed the child in front of him. He sighed deeply and removed his hood from his head.

"How many years has it been?"

"Five!" The fair skinned boy said with pride. "A-and counting, if this is... No, I am certain now! It has to be today!" He added, uncertain.

The ranger eyed the boy once more, and made a weird noise between choking and coughing.

"Five years... Even since that time, you've kept coming? When will you give up?" He asked, looking annoyed, yet intrigued.

"I won't... You have to do it this time! Y-you..." the kid stopped for a second and rebuilt his words.

"Please, sir... You have to."

"And what if I don't?" the ranger raised an eyebrow.

"But... but..." He shifted his weight from one leg to another, looking at the ranger, begging.

"Hey, how about next time? Next year. You will come again anyway." He was about to shut the door, but he was faced with a new resistance. The boy pulled the door tightly and squeezed his face inside.

"You can't do this to me! It's been years! Ever since I turned 10, I have been following you around, desperate to pay my debt!" He screamed his true feelings.

"Shush! Okay. Before you get us killed, come inside." The annoyed ranger pulled the kid in and closed the door.

"Look, I know who you are. I know what you are trying to do, but you are not rea-"

"I'm ready!" He cut off the ranger's words.

"I'm ready because I've been training for every single day since 5 years! I'm ready, because..." He took a deep breath.

"Because... this is my last chance." the boy finished with a shaky voice.

"Last? What do you mean, last!? What's stopping you from waiting one more year?" the ranger exploded.

"The Choosing Day..." He said in a quiet voice, reduced to whispers.

"I don't want to end up as a simple farmer." He collapsed to one knee.

"I'll do anything to be a ranger! Anything! I'll give up my eyes, my arms, legs, even my life!"

The tired ranger sighed once more, shaking his head. He lent his hand to the boy and helped him up.

"There's nothing I can do about it..." The face of the fair skinned boy went to a bright blue after hearing those words.

"I don't think I can take one more year of this. Go get your luggage. I'll clear up some room for you."

The blond haired boy stopped for a second, then smiled, still not believing what just happened. He ran out of the hut as fast as he could. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him.

"Don't think we're done here! If you mess up, I'll make life hell for you!" The ranger told him from the distance.

After seeing the new apprentice disappear into the night, the ranger closed the door and sat on the wooden chair in front of the fireplace. It was about time, Jacob thought to himself.

Opening his eyes, Glade saw the birds fly in the bright blue skies, merely visible as small dots. He must have seen a memory in his dreams. After feeling the scars on his body, he wished for a second that the dream lasted forever.

"No, no... I need to... need to shake myself awake!" He splashed his head on what little amount of water was left for him and crawled back to search for any food. Usually, there would be leftovers or a small bowl of soup around the captive apprentice, but this time, he could only see the cruel face of the Genovesan assassin looking at him.

The man walked over to Glade and lifted his face up.

"Well, well, well... Look who woke up. Did you dream of your friends saving you?" He laughed at his cruel, yet equally unfunny joke. Glade glared fiercely at the man in purple clothes.

"I see that you really won't talk. In that case... I might have to cut open a second mouth for you to spill the beans." He unsheathed his knife and pushed it close to the apprentice's throat. Glade knew he shouldn't even swallow, so he kept glaring at his captor.

"I recall you saying 'Even if I die' while boasting about your loyalty. Where's all that now? Are you ready?" He smiled devilishly. Glade looked deep into his eyes, with his own brown eyes flashing threateningly under the bright sun.

"All that loyalty... It's right here." He felt the sharp side of the knife hurting his neck as he spoke, but he kept talking until he was done.

"You rascal..." The assassin crudely shoved the kid to the ground. Then he waved his knife threateningly.

"If you say one more word, I'll use your eye as a new sheath for this knife!"

"Hey! We need some logs for the fire!" a distant voice rung in the Genovesan's ears.

"Darn it!" He stabbed the knife to the ground. "What is it now!?" He walked away from Glade, to the camper that obviously was his higher-up, awaiting service.

"Idiot peacock." Glade's face lightened up with a clever smirk. He crawled towards the sharp knife and took his leather shackles, starting to cut it to reach his freedom. He took one last look at the assassin, but his face was turned away from him. Cutting faster, he finally got his shackles off from his hands and feet. Grabbing the knife stuck to the ground, he noticed in the last second that the assassin was running towards him.

"That threat you told me..." He told his captor mockingly.

"I'll make it a reality!" He threw the knife with accuracy and saw it stab the cruel face of the assassin in the left eye. Satisfied, He ran out from the campsite, through the shocked guards and the crossbow bolts firing everywhere around. However, there was nowhere to run because the forest and the path was filled with Genovesans and to their back was a river that was between two hills: The small, green one with no trees on it, and the one that the camp sat on. Glade took a deep breath as he saw the assassins gather, then he swiftly rolled off the hill. The spotless hill's soil was soft, albeit filled with tangling vines. The assassins could only look after the kid rolling down the hill, miraculously surviving. But with nobody to save him, the cruel assassins were sure he would perish in the river. Thus, nobody bothered to take him out of the small hill valley. Trying to swim through the river, Glade felt like he was fainting, and he couldn't take a breath. Struggling to live, he held on a small branch tightly and tried to pull himself up. But with what little strength he had, it was impossible. Seeing his surroundings go fuzzy, the tired apprentice felt his world fall apart.


	11. Chapter 11: Will of The Apprentice

"Okay, I spotted another one." Bryce said as he detected another whitened manure in the woods the Genovesan assassin went in.

"So, how long does that medicine last?" Asked Jacob, still unsure of the peculiar method of the apprentice.

"About... A day?" The young apprentice was not very sure himself, but it seemed like they were making progress, as further they followed the traces, the trees started to lessen until they exited the woods from a narrow spot and found themselves in a large grass field that was almost empty besides some curvy, mountain like shapes over the horizon. There were several trees here and there, but it felt cleaner compared to the dim forest.

"That's enough for now. We skipped camping when we first set out, but we can't keep going without rest." Bryce tried to convince a tired, yet concerned Jacob to rest for his wellbeing.

"I see. There's no helping, then." Replied the blond ranger with an apathetic voice.

Clyde didn't think he could help ease Jacob's mind with what little knowledge he had of him, so he decided to help by starting the campfire, but Bryce stopped him.

"If they set up camp nearby, we'll be noticed. Some dry fruit and jerky will have to do for now."

Noticing the apprentice, Jacob turned to him and threw a foldable bucket in his hands.

"If you really want to help, bring us some water."

"F-from where?" Clyde couldn't see any water source around. Jacob pointed at a far away point, where Clyde could now see a small movement, comparable to a river.

"Be careful, Clyde." Bryce didn't forget to warn his apprentice. Thinking about it, he realized the advice he had just given was not really useful, but a good way to express concern, regardless.

"Okay!" Clyde ran towards the river with small steps, carrying the bucket with him. He stopped for a moment, considering riding Gale to there, but he changed his mind because they had ridden the horses all day long.

Watching the young ranger become a small dot on the horizon, Bryce started taking the sleeping bags out while Jacob took care of the horses. Pegasus, Glade's horse, was restless to meet his owner again, so the blond ranger had to calm her down as much as he could.

"Such a quiet kid, that Clyde." Jacob forcefully tried to start a conversation.

"You aren't the first one to say that." Replied Bryce, as he sat down and laid his back to a rock.

"Still, he has come a long way, I think." He continued, as Jacob looked at him, finding it hard to understand.

"Well, at least he knows when to shut up, unlike mine." Jacob put on a gloomy smile.

"Damn it, I give up. I miss the impish brat." He sighed.

"Took you a while, didn't it?" Replied Bryce.

"You know that I'm not a soft, teddy bear kind of guy like you. It's hard to say stuff like these." The tired ranger spoke back.

"Teddy bear? That's a new one." Bryce laughed, as he took his hair tie off his head. The tie was holding his hair up just right, but the scalp of the ranger hurt from all the travel without rest.

"Are you going to sleep before your apprentice returns? Some mentor you are." Jacob jokingly insulted the long haired ranger.

"Well, if he doesn't keep quick, I might give in eventually." Bryce exaggerated yawned.

"What's holding him so long, anyway?" Jacob questioned, but the mentor didn't know the answer either.

Finally reaching the river, the curly haired apprentice took a minute to catch his breath. He held the folded bucket and opened it up, then took out three water bottles as well. Going out to bring water was Clyde's favourite chore after foraging, because he liked to listen to the sounds of the water and the forest animals, being soothed by a few minutes of alone time. After filling the last of the bottles, he took the bucket and started to head back, before he noticed a dark figure inside the water.

Startled, the child dropped the bucket and reached into the almost clear water of the river. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his own and started to pull him in. Struggling to stay on ground, Clyde pulled the dark figure above the ground and couldn't believe himself over what he saw. The scarred, bloody person in front of him was none other than Glade.

"Ah... Clyde, is that you?" The ruined apprentice spoke, breathing heavily.

"It's... it's embarrassing to be seen like this." Even at the verge of death, Glade was capable of talking more than his friend. Clyde responded with nothing but tears on his eyes. He rummaged through his salve bag, thinking of different solutions for many different wounds on the poor kid's body. He panicked and dropped a few of the packs onto the ground, and looking through them, he finally decided to use one.

"Don't bother... Just bring me to him... To Jacob." Glade was still breathing slowly.

Clyde applied some salve onto the wounds and tried to carry Glade to the open field, but he didn't have the strength to. Not knowing what to do, the stressed child sat next to his patient and waited for help to appear. He couldn't risk harming Glade or abandoning him, so he hadn't got anything more to do.

As time passed, Clyde felt more anxious. Despite the salves, Glade's body was getting cold and the damp clothes were not helping. As a breeze swept through the field, He took off his cape and laid it over the wounded apprentice.

"I-I'm sorry... I failed." He stuttered.

"Failed... what?" replied Glade.

"I can't do anything... at all. It's useless..." Clyde paused for a second.

"I'm useless..." He tilted his head down and the memories and regrets flowed into his mind and out of his eyes.

"Don't cry... Rangers don't cry." said Glade.

"Yes, they do!" Burst Glade with teary eyes. "When they are desperate... Everyone cries." He buried his head on his arms.

Suddenly, the apprentices heard the noise of the ranger horses stomping the ground, and their mentors jumped down from their steeds.

"Clyde, what's wrong?" Bryce rushed towards his apprentice. "Is that..."

Jacob bolted before he could finish his sentence. Glade looked at his mentor and gave a sorrowful smile.

"I'm sorry, I was careless." The wounded apprentice apologized while panting.

"You fool! Who cares about that anymore?" Jacob embraced Glade and let out a single tear. Then he picked him up and rushed back to the horses.

"What are you waiting for, an invitation?" The hot headed ranger scolded Bryce and Clyde, back to his usual self.

"Well, you've heard him. Let us go." Bryce smiled gently at Clyde. The teary eyed apprentice wiped his face and followed his mentor to their horses.

"...I think they are going to go for another assassination, but that's just a hunch." Glade, wrapped in a blanket with his wounds treated, had just ended a long report of what he saw as a captive and what he thought about the situation. Astounded by his bravery and dedication, the other rangers felt proud, yet also concerned for him.

"If I see that purple peacock, he's mine." Commented Jacob, feeling intense rage at his apprentice's captor. Seeing the scary face he made, nobody could object.

"Now that we are set, I think we need to plan out next steps for the mission." Bryce returned to their main topic.

"So, we just need to seize the central camp, right?" said Glade.

"It's not simple like that." replied his mentor.

"First, we need to get more information about their target, and of course, their client."

"But isn't the target obviously the king?" Glade chimed in again.

"Well, the client is the more important piece here. This is most likely an attack from outside countries." Bryce explained.

"So, what do we..." asked Clyde with a quiet voice.

"I suggest we part ways here." said Bryce.

"What? Why?" questioned Jacob.

"Is there any reason to?"

"I think so. If Clyde and I work on distracting them, you and Glade can blend in and get some info. Then we can strike after we have weakened them." The long haired ranger explained his plan.

"That sounds like a good plan, Bryce!" Glade felt excited again.

"I'm still not sure... What do you mean by 'weakening' them?"

"Well, about that..." Bryce scratched his head, half smiling.

"Clyde, any ideas?"

"Er..." Clyde thought for a while.

"Sleeping... sleeping drugs?" He concluded.

"That's it! Glade, you said in your report that there was a well in the camp area, isn't that true?" asked Bryce.

"Yes, that is correct! The river is too impractical to get water from." replied Glade.

"Then it's simple: we drug the well, you mix into them and we take their leader."

"They have a leader, huh... Weird thing for Genovesans." Jacob felt confused by the abnormal movements of the assassins.

"Well, that only makes things easier for us." Bryce concluded the brain storming.

"Well then, are we going to go with this?" He asked for the agreement of the other rangers and got pleased to hear nobody objecting.

"It's decided, then. Let's start!"

The final movement against the Genovesans had begun.


	12. Chapter 12: Battle of The Twin Hills

Climbing the green hill facing the central camp, The young apprentice and his mentor stopped to take a break.

"I have to admit." said Bryce while panting. "I didn't think it would take this long."

Clyde kept his silence and took his time to catch his breath. Looking down the spot, he could see the small figures of Jacob and Glade slowly leveling the other hill. The blond apprentice noticed a faraway Clyde staring at him and waved at him. Then he got pulled away by his hot headed mentor, likely whispering him to stay put.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" Bryce kept climbing after drinking a little out of his water bottle. The curly haired apprentice followed him to the top of the hill.

After they made it to the top, Clyde couldn't help but look at the view from up the hill. The river they passed through was now barely thicker than his thumb. Along the empty plains, the only other thing that could be noticed was the other hill, in which Clyde couldn't see their allies anymore. Surrounded by two forests divided by a small pathway, the hill looked really strange to the blue eyes of the apprentice.

"Get a good look, Clyde. Burn it to your memory, if you can. We need to memorize the camp's layout, or we can't make a successful shot." Bryce was unsure of the tactic he devised with his apprentice. While it made sense, shooting from one hill to another was somewhat challenging to Bryce, and downright impossible to Clyde. Regardless, the long haired ranger took out his arrow and tightly tied the sack his apprentice gave to him to the head of it.

"Watch and learn, Clyde." He smiled at his apprentice. "The sack drags down the angle a bit, so you need to do your calculations carefully." He got ready to shoot the arrow from his longbow and pulled on the string.

However, suddenly feeling a presence, he dropped the bow to the ground and drew his saxe knife so fast, Clyde thought it appeared out of thin air for a second.

Right from their backs lunged an assassin in purple clothes, with a sharp knife in his hands. Being prepared, Bryce countered the attack easily with his own knife and pushed the Genovesan back.

"Clyde, you do it," He said in a heartbeat, as he eyed his opponent fiercely. "Now!"

The nimble assassin was switching hands while swinging his knife, making unexpected counterattacks. Bryce has an advantage because of his height, but having to face against an opponent almost as fast as him, that didn't seem to matter much. The assassin in purple once again lunged at his neck with the knife in his hands, and this time, the seasoned ranger grabbed the arm of his opponent and attacked with his knife, only to be countered in the same way. Being locked in a position, the fight was now purely physical. Clyde was standing there, unsure of whether he should help his mentor or shoot the arrow. His bow shaking in his hands, he didn't feel like he could do any, and his doubts started crawling on his back again.

"Clyde, our last chance!"

"B-but I..."

"You have to try!" The tall ranger screamed in desperation, and he started pushing the assassin harder, preventing him from escaping the lock.

Clyde got reminded of an old memory, and suddenly returned to reality. He had to do as his mentor said, because they believed in each other, and because he had trained for this moment. The ginger haired apprentice grabbed his bow, swiftly picked the arrow bound with the sack of drugs, and pulled on the string, fully concentrating on the stone well right in front of the camp. Releasing the string, he saw the arrow fly off, piercing the skies. Then he saw it go towards the well and hit the edge, rolling in the hole afterwards. He had done it. He had tried and succeeded, just like he did before.

Turning behind, Clyde saw Bryce laying on the ground, struggling to pin down the assassin. Seeing more purple silhouettes down the skirts of the hill, Clyde took a deep breath and signalled their ranger horses to come for their aid. Then he took his own knife, and feeling his heartbeats in his mouth, tried to stabilize his feelings.

Bryce stood up painted in bright red, having to cut the throat of the assassin open to survive.

"Keep alerted, Clyde." said the panting mentor. Clyde nodded and looked down at the skirts again. The assassins were getting closer, but Gale and Feder were faster. Coming from their behind, the horses rammed into the group of Genovesans with all their might. Shocked and scattered, the assassins couldn't notice the duo of rangers aiming right at them. With two shots from Bryce and a shot from Clyde, the group was fully neutralized. Quickly scaling down the hill, Clyde and Bryce went to check their horses' condition. Relieved to see them uninjured, they could finally be relaxed.

"You were so loud back then, what a shocker!" Gale poked fun at his owner.

"We did everything we could." Stated Feder humbly.

"Well, thanks for having our backs, I guess." Bryce smiled. Clyde stared at his mentor, still stained with crimson blood. He was not bothered fighting bad people with arrows, but seeing one slaughtered like an animal was something else. Being reminded of the sight, Clyde felt queasy.

"Are you scared?" Asked Bryce. Clyde shook his head as to say no, but his mentor could read through his heart.

"You'll get used to it. I wish you didn't, but it's a part of the job." He started to climb back up the hill. The young apprentice followed after, and took a quick look at the other hill. Taking the signal Bryce gave out, Jacob and Glade had started their own mission.

From then on, they needed to keep an eye on both their allies and the camp.

"It's up to them now." said the mentor with a determined voice.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Do you have the clothes ready?" asked Jacob.

"Here, it's ready!" Glade responded with his usual excitement. The purple cloth and feathered purple hat he took out of his bag were no different than their cunning foes' attire.

"Good. Now, we wait for them to draw water from their well. We'll have to stay hidden."

Capturing the sight of the camp from two different sides, the rangers silently waited for their prey to catch the bait. As the last strands of sunlight slowly disappeared, the hill forest went dark and gloomy by minute. Struggling to keep his curiosity suppressed, Glade started bugging his mentor.

"Are you sure you will be fine on your own? Are you?"

"Yes, I am. You'll just get in the way." His mentor answered, annoyed. In reality, he was worried for his apprentice's wellbeing and didn't want him to be hurt. He also knew he would object if he had told the truth.

"Okay then..." Glade paused for a second.

"How will we get information as they sleep?" He asked curiously.

"The drug takes time to show its effect, or so that friend of yours said." replied the mentor, out of focus as he delved into other thoughts, scratching his goatee. "That's enough questions." He quickly added as his persistent apprentice looked at him with an endless queue of questions sparkling in his eyes.

It was nearing midnight as the silver moon rose up and showed itself over the cloudy, dark sky.

"I'm out. Watch my back." said Jacob quietly, and donned the purple cloak and the feathered hat, slowly walking towards the camp, leaving his apprentice behind.

Under the dim light of the moon, the Genovesan assassins were mostly in their tents, off to a deep sleep after drinking from the drugged water. The campfire had already charred away, leaving a small cloud of smoke behind. The tents were located close to each other except for the larger central tent, which was the one that housed the leader, the blond ranger thought. Under the soft, grassy soil of the hill, he treaded the ground carefully, making his way to a convenient spot covered with the shadows from the tents and sat there, closing his eyes as if he had fallen to sleep. However, the truth was that the cunning ranger could see everything from the hidden spot. Keeping a watch on the campsite, Jacob waited for someone to pass by, preferably higher on the hierarchy of the assassins.

Suddenly, a couple of sluggish men in purple walked right past him, barely conscious enough to walk. The skilled ranger shifted his attention to the sleepy mumbles of the small group of assassins.

"Darn it... I feel drained for some reason." Said the short, grumpy one. He wasn't capable of walking in a straight line, constantly bumping into the other assassin beside him.

"Don't we all? Might be the weather." Said the taller, thin faced assassin, vibrating in the cold weather as a light breeze went around his hair from underneath his hat. His friend beside him scowled furiously, but the drug had taken away the fierceness of his movements. "Who's idea was it to set the damn camp on a hill, anyway?"

"Mine." Someone suddenly appeared behind the short assassin, and glared at him with his cruel, dark eyes. Looking at the fear in the grumpy man's face, Jacob understood that it was most likely the leader himself.

"O-oh, Giovanni! I didn't me-"

"Silence." the frightened assassin's sentence was cut by the leader.

"Why are you loitering here, you have the guard shift, you imbecile!" He followed with fierce words, and kicked the assassin in the gut, watching him hurry to his position. The tall assassin beside him was standing still.

"And you," Giovanni poked him in the chest. "You let the kid run away and are not done with cutting the logs, either!" He said threateningly.

"Don't force your luck." He walked away to his tent. Jacob could barely keep himself from taking revenge from his apprentice's captor, but he managed to keep himself in control, then tried to move towards the central camp.

"And what are you doing?" He was caught just before moving, so he froze still.

"Come here, get up!" The leader rose and Jacob did as he said.

"Why are you lying around?" He said.

"Answer me!" He added furiously after Jacob mumbled like he was sleeping earlier.

"Why aren't you sleeping like everyone, boss?" Jacob asked back in an uninterested tone.

"Well, I've drunk from my own bottle of water, unlike you rascals." Giovanni replied, surprisingly calm. Jacob sensed an unnatural feeling, and paused for a few seconds.

"Do you know who did this?" He said.

"Well, let's say... I do now." Giovanni replied, swiftly throwing a knife at Jacob. Instinctively, he leapt aside and dodged the knife barely, his arm cut lightly.

"Don't be an idiot. Who would be able to question me in a sober state, other than a nosy ranger?" The cruel leader unsheathed another knife from his belt and swiftly attacked the blond haired ranger. Dodging the Genovesan's tricky slashes with precision was no problem for the seasoned ranger, but to strike an opponent that can use both hands, he'd leave an opening for each attempt at attacking. As he kept dodging, he felt he was running out of space. His opponent was forcing him to the edge of the hill. Finally finding a spot to retreat, Jacob leapt backwards and drew his own knife out. The sound of leather rubbing against metal made the cruel assassin's blood boil. He resumed his continuous attacks, but was countered with surprising force from the ranger in front of him. Each strike being deflected, the duel entered a state of balance. However, this wouldn't last long. Half awake assassins had already started to rise from their tents, regaining their consciousness after hearing the familiar sound of clashing metal. Seeing the tables turn, Jacob started to feel desperate. The other assassins were drawing their knives, raring to join the fight, even in their drunken state.

The blond ranger refused to lose his cool and continued the knife duel, aware of his surroundings being filled with that disgusting shade of purple that he quickly came to hate.

"Well," he thought to himself. "at least Glade is safe."

Suddenly, he heard a loud voice coming from the entrance of the camp.

"March, Pegasus, march!" The apprentice, with a dedicated look in his sparkling brown eyes, rode his white horse full force into the horde of Genovesans and tackled them, scattering and destroying their formation instantly.

"What in the world-" Giovanni got distracted by the ruckus that happened, and made his first mistake in the duel, paying for it with a sharp pain in his stomach. Before he could see it, the large knife was removed from the spot, leaving blood to spill everywhere around the assassin leader.

Leaving his horse to fight for her own, Glade joined in the fight with his recurve bow, striking the stunned Genovesans one at a time. Seeing his apprentice in a vulnerable state, Jacob arrived to his help with his knife still in his hand. Struggling to stay focused, the mentor-apprentice duo went through the horde of half awake Genovesans, covering for each other. As they felt overwhelmed, they heard the hissing sound of arrows travelling the skies. Knowing what was about to happen, Jacob smiled devilishly. Lots of arrows, long and short, rained onto the Genovesans scattered onto the hill, yet Glade and Jacob were unharmed. The few amounts of Genovesans left were knocked out by a hit from Pegasus, and now the mentor and the apprentice were standing amidst a sea of purple, feeling lost as to where to begin handling the situation.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Going through the camp, Jacob searched for any leads to the client of all these assassins, while Glade signalled Clyde and Bryce to come over.

"So, is the leader really dead?" Asked Glade.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Answered the mentor sarcastically. However, he was mad at himself for actually killing the person they could benefit the most from. Wondering if it was alright to let it pass as a self defense, he continued rummaging through each and every tent.

"Good work out there." Bryce came in with his usual cheery voice.

"Yeah, you almost killed us, though. Careful where you aim that thing." Jacob poked fun at his friend.

Seeing them spend time searching for evidence together, Clyde approached Glade, who was petting his snow white horse on her nose.

"You did good, just like a ranger's horse, Pegasus!" He smiled.

"Um... Hi." Clyde greeted him shyly.

"Ah, Clyde!" Glade's smile grew as he saw Clyde move towards him. "We were great, weren't we? I think we'll be excused for that time!"

"Y-yeah... I hope so." Clyde couldn't think of anything to say, so the pair of apprentices just enjoyed a moment's silence together.

"Hey, you kids come here!" Jacob's voice rung out of a tent. Turning their heads towards the direction the sound came from, the apprentices proceeded to the central tent.

Inside the central tent was a rather plain spot, with a few cushions and scattered files on the floor. The slowly fading moonlight could barely leak inside. Jacob had a parchment in his hands, reading it with Bryce, who sat next to him. Clyde went to Bryce's side and took a look at the note on the parchment, and so did Glade.

"To the Genovesan Assassin Guild

I need the person with the title 'Head Ranger' of Araluen dead. I have gold to offer, as much as..." Glade's face went more disturbed the more he looked at the outrageous number written on the agreement.

"Genovesan Assassin Guild... Does thar even exist?" Glade asked again.

"Likely didn't exist prior to this request." Answered Jacob. The mentors both donned serious faces.

"The target was... Gordon?" Clyde spoke quietly, but surely surprised.

"Apparently so. This explains why they specifically aimed for him back then, doesn't it?" Bryce felt like he was piecing things together.

"It's a shame we don't have anyone left to question." He spoke again.

"Like they would speak a word for us." Jacob laughed in a pessimistic tone.

The mentors collected what they needed from the tent, then went out with their apprentices.

"Now then, where is the leader?" Bryce asked.

"Wasn't he dead already?" Asked Glade.

"He should be. Nobody can spill that much blood and still be okay." Jacob replied.

However, when they returned to the spot the assassin leader once laid, they noticed that a trail of blood went off the hill and into the river.

"Just like I did..." Glade looked down the hill with a disturbed look on his face. Jacob's face went red and his veins showed up over his hands.

"Curse you, that cunning little peacock!" He shouted fiercely. Bryce tried to calm him down as he kept mumbling angrily.

"He can't be too far. We'll catch up with him." Bryce said.

"No, Bryce. This is my responsibility." Jacob refused his friend's offer for help.

"Yours is to deliver those papers to the castle as soon as possible." He added.

Bryce looked at the blond ranger's eyes with concern.

"He couldn't have ran too far, it's just like you said." Jacob tried to reassure Bryce once again and then went to get his own horse. Knowing it was pointless to argue further, Bryce turned to the apprentices.

"Come on, we're going back."

"We? I am coming with Jacob!" Glade objected.

"No, you are not. You have to watch the hut for me." Jacob was adamant on keeping his persistent apprentice away from danger this time.

"But-"

Before Glade could say anything, Jacob had already left on his horse.

"Glade, are you coming?" yelled Bryce from the back, having set the horses and the equipments. Clyde was already on his horse.

"I am!" The blond apprentice yelled back, running towards the group. Inside his heart, he wanted to go with his mentor, but knew that he was thinking the best for him. Just like a true ranger, thought Glade.

As the trio of mounted rangers went down the hill steadily, the first lights of morning were breaking out, shining a light on their path.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

A large crowd was waiting on the big, majestic hall of the Redmont Castle. Dressed for the occasion, many important people were seated on the chairs that filled the large room. Behind the elevated stage, a small ceremony for two people was about to start. Behind the stage, those two people, who were also two apprentices, stood beside their mentors.

"Um... Is this... Is this necessary?" Clyde was even more flustered than usual while talking. The curly haired boy's freckled face was tinted with a light shade of pink, his stares locked on the floor.

"Of course it is!" Bryce said merrily. "Now, don't be shy and walk in after your name is called. Everyone is waiting." He continued.

"C-can I go with you?" Clyde looked at his mentor desperately.

"No, I'm afraid I can't come when they only call your name. It is not how these things work, you know."

Across the room, Glade was confidently chatting with his own mentor.

"I'm glad we are accepted! After all we've done, I feel like a ranger already!" Glade excitedly said as he shifted his weight from one leg to another.

"Hold on, hold on. This is just the beginning. Let's see you say the same words after five more years of this." Jacob said, acting annoyed.

"I think it will be worth the effort with you!" Glade didn't understand a piece of Jacob's point.

"I didn't joke around saying I'd make life hell for you, just you see!" Jacob violently stroked Glade's hair as he laughed.

Looking at them, Clyde felt a bit calmer, yet still he didn't have a smile on his face.

"Come on, if you were to smile only once in a lifetime, this would be that moment. What are you pouting for?" Bryce gently poked Clyde's cheek. His apprentice turned to him and gave a small half-smile to him.

"Everyone, please welcome the two brave apprentices that saved His Majesty's life!" the voice of the Baron rung from the stage.

"Clyde and Glade!"

Clyde panicked for a second, but kept his cool and stepped forward, through the curtains that separated them from the crowd. Glade walked beside him and they both approached the Baron with uncertain steps.

"Revealing a hidden assassination plot, these two young rangers deserve to be called heroes!" a loud applause filled the room in the form of clapping.

"Now, before we reward these young men, I will invite one more person: The Head Ranger, Gordon!"

From the curtains, Gordon came out with a serious face fully visible as his hood was removed. His green eyes, almost shut tight by his eyelids, didn't reflect the light in the room, giving him a threatening look even on the stage.

"Clyde and Glade," He started talking. "Surely, by putting the camp situation aside, we had made a big mistake. However, we wish to avoid making a bigger mistake by not allowing you two to be rangers. As such, you two shall continue your training for the remainder of your time as apprentices."

Glade's face lighted up, and he looked at Clyde, smiling. Clyde forced himself to smile back and tried to withstand the pressure he felt from many unfamiliar eyes staring at him.

"Thank you, si... Gordon." Glade fixed his mistake before anybody heard him.

"Th-thank you." Clyde bowed forward instinctively.

Gordon nodded, then took his place among the people seated in the front of the stage.

"Then, now I invite their respective mentors to reward them. Bryce and Jacob, please!" Baron's voice echoed in the room again.

Bryce and Jacob came in, with some thread like object sparkling in their hands. Bryce faced Clyde and stood on his bent leg to match his height.

"Congratulations, Clyde. You didn't seize the day, but the whole year." He smiled and put what Clyde finally recognized as a chain pendant around his neck. The bronze chain had a small, oak leaf shaped piece on it, the symbol of rangers.

Jacob had given Glade his pendant as well. The blond apprentice was smiling at his mentor, his sparkling brown eyes showing his excitement.

Finally finished, the ceremony carried on as a small celebration in the local tavern. However, displeased with the crowds, Clyde went out early along with his mentor, bidding farewell to Glade and Jacob. After they were separated, it would be a long while for them to meet again, as Jacob failed to find Giovanni and another mission was initiated in order to catch the assassin. The ranger of the Redmont Fief had busy days approaching.

"I'll keep writing to you!" Glade yelled as they slowly rode away from the Fief, under the soft light of the evening.

Finally returning to their home, Bryce and Clyde released a big breath of relief.

The young apprentice, lying on the bed in his small room, looked at the silver moon through the window, and thought to himself how his life turned around in just one year.

He sighed deeply, and turned away from the window and wrapped his blanket around.

For once, the young boy thought to himself, perhaps the lie he had told was worth it.


	13. Chapter 13: Another Day

It was yet another gloomy day with dark clouds covering the skies as if to spite the bright and cheerful sun hidden behind. Pure white snow was falling upon the entire place relentlessly, taking away every bit of the heat left inside. A single manor was crudely standing in the nearly spotless sheet of snow, showing its worn wooden pieces, its black paint long washed away. Inside a small, narrow room beneath the roof, there was a small bed with blankets and clothes scattered on it, with an old, white haired man with charming blue eyes laying under the pile of blankets. The window of the room, which was basically a hole in the wall, was inviting the cold breeze inside, and the elderly man was freezing even in that state. Regardless, with a gentle look on his face, his blue eyes were fixed on his young nephew, who laid his back onto the side of his bed, covered by his own blanket that definitely didn't help his shaking.

"Come on, boy. Take one more blanket from the pile. You're freezing." He said to his nephew.

"If I do that, you'll die." the boy wrapped the blanket tighter, still shaking.

"Not at all! I'm feeling fine. I can even wrestle with you like we did when you were young!" He cheerfully insisted on lending a blanket to him.

"That was years ago, before you got this sick... I was a child then." His nephew replied.

"Well, you still are a child. You deserve being spoiled a bit." The old man played his last stand.

"I don't deserve that at all!" Burst the boy, nearly moved to tears. "It's because of me that you are in this state, yet..." He started shaking frantically.

"Well, you aren't wrong about that." The old man replied. His blue eyes were now cloudy, creepy orbs that stared daggers at the boy. He slowly got out of the bed and reached out to his nephew.

"Was it worth it, Clyde? Are you happy now? Are you?" His arm kept stretching unnaturally and creeped over the kid's neck.

"You deserve everything that has happened to you."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Clyde woke up violently, in tears, his body feeling moist as he noticed he was sweating. He took a few deep breaths and closed the window of his small room as he saw that he forgot to close it when he went to bed. His blue eyes were looking like a deep lake, and under his eyes were bags, nearly turned brown from the stress.

"How many... Times..." He mumbled to himself as he realized this was about the twentieth time he had seen the same horrible dream. Though he thought that he would stop seeing them as the nightmares nearly disappeared last year, they had returned, even more frequent than usual.

Feeling weak, Clyde laid back on his bed and tried to sleep again. He was used to the effects of nightmares, but nothing on this world could ready him for seeing the same one for the twenty first time. Hoping he didn't wake Bryce up again, the curly haired boy fell into a deep sleep once again.

"Clyde, it's time to wake up." He heard the deep voice of his mentor but he didn't want to. His energy was drained from his sleep being constantly interrupted.

"Clyde, come on, I won't be saving you any coffee this time!" Clyde heard another teasing yell. He knew he would be constantly bugged if he didn't get up, so he decided to force himself to leave his soft, comfortable looking bed.

"Thank God, you finally made it out of your room." The shaggy bearded ranger chuckled. His hair was tangled and untied, going a bit over his shoulders. The big window with the empty pots was facing the table decorated with the bread, cheese and jam on the plates, along with two cups that had flowers painted on them, probably and hopefully filled with revitalizing coffee. Bryce pointed to the empty seat, waiting for Clyde to be seated and start eating. Seeing him up close, he noticed his apprentice's face was even more fair colored than usual, and it didn't take too long to notice the bags under his eyes, either.

"Clyde, is there something you want to share?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"I'm... I'm just feeling... tired." The ginger haired apprentice replied. Over the past few months, he had started to beat his speech problems and had begun his second year as an apprentice, but despite these improvements, his usual cheerful demeanour was missing from his face.

"This is not your 'just tired' face, believe me." Bryce kept talking with concerned looks, no longer touching his breakfast.

"Look, Clyde..." He looked into his apprentice's eyes. "I'm your mentor. You know I won't misjudge you. I feel like you are hiding things to avoid being a burden, but-"

"I'm fine!" Clyde interrupted his mentor's sentence. "I just need... some coffee." He added, downing the cup of milk coffee in one sip as if to convince his mentor that he is alright. Little did he know, his unusual movements were read like a book by the observant mentor but Bryce kept silent regardless.

They finished their breakfast and went out for their daily training. Trying his best to improve himself everyday, Clyde's archery and knife wielding skills were much better than they were last year. However, he still missed a few shots during training. That is, if one would consider not hitting a bullseye a miss.

Over a year, perhaps the only thing that didn't change was Gale and Feder's appearance. After their owners groomed them, the chestnut colored coats of the ranger horses were shining as they basked in the sunlight. Petting Gale's long, beige mane, Clyde looked convincingly content to his still concerned mentor, so Bryce released a breath of relief. Looking after each other over countless dangerous moments, the two of them bonded and got even closer by time.

"Are we going on... patrol?" Clyde said as they walked towards Greenfield from the stable.

"Well, we would, but we also need to review the reports and some other mail I received." Bryce replied.

They headed back to the hut to read the papers. There were a few cases that needed reviewing, along with a mail from Glade, the blond haired, awkward yet unusually talkative friend of Clyde.

As Bryce went through the first set of reports, Clyde read Glade's message which was just filled with nothing related to any incident, but simple and pointless words and memories. Clyde liked reading Glade's messages because since he isn't allowed to write about rangers on letters, he would have to write his feelings more understandably.

Clyde assisted Bryce with the reading and writing of reports and soon enough, that job was also taken care of.

"Alright, all done!" Exclaimed Bryce. "Now all we have left is the patrol." He added. Clyde nodded and got prepared for a small stroll through the fief.

"Okay, let's go!"

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Greenfield was as peaceful as ever, showering under the full brightness of the sun, the grass waving around as a cool, refreshing breeze goes by, lightly decorated with the cobblestone path that went into the town center, lively and brimming with people going about their daily life, around the noisy tavern, the bakery releasing mouth-watering smells of fresh bread, and the Greenfield Castle witnessing all of it happen, not too far away from the town. It was all too familiar to Clyde, who was used to living here, but the anxious boy felt a bit calmer and better despite it being just another one of their daily patrols in the small Fief. Such is the calming, friendly nature of Greenfield, thought Clyde. He felt ready to take a stroll on the streets, as he and Bryce rarely had any unruly people cause mayhem around the town, so it was often like taking a break rather than a chore.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself, right?" Bryce looked at his apprentice with glee.

"Uh, yeah!" Clyde responded as his train of thought went off the rails.

"The calm air around here is part of why I moved here." Bryce went on to another topic as they walked through the crowds.

"What is... The other part?" Clyde asked curiously. "Wait, moved?" He noticed his mentor's choice of words at the last moment.

"Well, that is... Another time's story." Bryce laughed as Clyde gave him a questioning look.

"Another time? Like... Never?" The ginger haired boy teased his mentor.

"No, no! I'll tell." Bryce replied quickly. "Just not now. You see, it's a long story..." He was about to continue when he felt an unusual feeling while passing through the town center. It was somehow more crowded, and the usual crowds that scattered and combined frequently contrasted with one small crowd that stood still.

"Is that... a stand?" Clyde asked.

"I am not sure. It looks suspicious, though." Answered his mentor.

As they started walking towards the new crowd, they noticed that it wasn't really out of the ordinary as it was apparently just someone selling something to the group, though they needed to approach further if they wanted to know what was being sold.

Standing before the counter was a guy of moderate height with shoulder length dark brown hair, wearing some sort of lavender coloured garb and holding several books in his hands, talking to his customers excitedly. Though, it was not an innocent excitement like Glade's, Clyde thought.

"You see, every piece of knowledge you need about obscure groups of people are written on these books! I know because I, the magnificent writer Gilbert, wrote them myself!" The young man exclaimed not so humbly.

"Hello there, Gilbert pal!" Bryce walked towards the writer with a seemingly cheerful face, but Clyde could tell his mentor was somewhat disgusted with the young man's behaviour.

"Er... Hello. Is there something I can help you with, gramps?" He replied with an openly condescending look in his eyes. As Bryce moved to his side and put his hand over his shoulder in a friendly manner, Clyde felt a little uneasy. He could tell his mentor was soon going to act unexpectedly.

"Gramps?" Bryce chuckled. "I'm only a few years older than you, bud."

"That beard of yours begs to differ." The writer replied with the same look burning even fiercely in his eyes. "Anyway, I-"

"So, what does these books of yours tell, hmm?" The long haired ranger interrupted.

"As I said," answered the writer, visibly annoyed, "It tells about obscure or strange groups and their secrets."

"Oh, I see." Bryce said with a lightened face. "Does it include... The royal family?"

"Ohoho," the writer laughed mischievously. "So you are that kind of person, gramps? I have the latest gossip about everything, of course."

The crowd surrounding the man slowly scattered away as he looked at them with a surprised face, as he thought it would give the opposite effect. Little did he know, it was not the gossip that pushed the people away, but the fact that they recognized the ranger beside him and made the smart choice of abandoning the scene.

"Latest gossip, you say..." Bryce's soft voice slowly started to change in tone.

"Isn't that kind of... Illegal?"

"So? What's the harm in having some fun?" The writer looked at him with a naughty look on his face.

Suddenly, the hand Bryce laid on the guy's shoulder grabbed him tightly. The friendly look on Bryce's face was gone.

"The harm? I'm afraid you are about to learn." He quickly bent the arm of the writer in an abnormal way, causing him to release a short scream of pain.

"Slandering the king is not really good for the wellbeing of writers, you know. Let's go to the castle and have this situation sorted." He said coldly. Clyde wasn't really fond of this person that took the place of Bryce whenever he needed more than his figure and status to intimidate people, but knew it was necessary to keep order, too. Having done his observation on Bryce's conversation tactics, the young apprentice followed behind his mentor.

Approaching the castle slowly, Bryce held the nosy writer in front of him as he forced him to walk. The young man's face was a deep purple from the fear of getting executed, but Bryce doubted the judgement of the Baron would result with anyone's death. He was just there to prevent the reputation of the king from any harm. As they nearly finished their walk towards the castle, The frightened writer suddenly whistled loudly. Bryce looked around to see if he called in for someone, but there was nobody around. Clyde couldn't see anybody, either. Forming the distraction he wanted, the young man threw a bottle to the ground and large clouds of smokes surrounded Bryce, who started coughing, surprised.

"See you around, gramps!"

The writer got himself out of the tall ranger's grasp and ran away. Clyde quickly took out his bow and shot at the running man to immobilize him, but the clouds of smoke made it harder to aim. The arrow stuck the garb of the writer to the ground, and he had to rip the lavender cloth to continue his escape. He disappeared into the woods as Clyde failed to make another shot.

"Okay, I wasn't expecting that." said Bryce, impressed. "Is he some sort of alchemist?"

"No..." Clyde replied. "He bought it from... a shady person, I guess?"

"What made you think so?" The mentor asked curiously.

"Well... The smoke scattered quickly. If it was proper, it would stay for a while, I think." Clyde said. He was much more talkative when it came to topics he was interested in. I wonder if I took that from Glade, thought the apprentice to himself.

"I see." Bryce replied quickly. "Well, he isn't that much of a threat as long as we notify the other rangers, so I guess it is out of our responsibility unless he sets a counter around here again." He said as he started walking back to the town.

"Come, we need to return to patrolling." Bryce called his apprentice to work.

"Sure..." Clyde followed behind him.

"How unenthusiastic, and just the day before the gathering as well... Are you trying to imitate Merlin?" The mentor poked fun at Clyde. "Okay, let's shake you awake. The first to the town center wins!" He started to run towards the center.

"W-wait, I'm not ready!" Clyde got his energy back and quickly caught up to his mentor. He wasn't going to lose this time.


	14. Chapter 14: Reunion At The Gathering

"Here we are at last. Are you still excited, Clyde?" asked the mentor to his apprentice. He was visibly elated to finally arrive at the camping site.

"Hmm, yes..." Looking around the site, Clyde noticed that it was a different place compared to last year. Then he remembered that the meeting spot changed every year to avoid being spotted easily by intruders.

"Are you sure that you are excited? That 'Hmm, yes' was not the most thrilled answer." Bryce smiled at the freckled face of the boy, looking stiff as he had already had his first gathering. He just needs to warm up, thought the patient mentor to himself.

As they got closer to the campsite, other rangers started appearing one by one, greeting the tall ranger and his ginger headed apprentice as they nod their heads to greet them back. Clyde felt like he was better at communicating than last year where he walked the path towards the camp looking at his feet, avoiding the eyes of the rangers from all over Araluen. As soon as they reached the camp, Clyde sensed something in his surrounding move. This time, he was able to notice the concealed Merlin just before he lifted his cloak.

"So, you're finally here. About time." The unenthusiastic ranger looked at Bryce with his deep blue eyes and crossed his arms.

"I know, I know. We were a bit late, but I don't see any of you training so it should be fine." said Bryce as he sported an easygoing look on his face.

"Slackers like you is why we need better apprenticed nowadays. You're influencing the mute guy too." Merlin replied, momentarily shifting his gaze to Clyde.

"His name is Clyde, in case you forgot." Bryce glared at his old friend.

"What, are you going to be upset because I called you mute? Then speak. Don't expect me to act gently." Merlin spoke harshly to Clyde.

"It's okay... I can talk." Clyde replied hesitantly.

"I can see." replied Merlin, unimpressed.

"Let's drop that topic now." Bryce chimed in. He didn't want Merlin's harsh behaviour breaking his apprentice's spirit. "Where are the others, Jacob and Glade?" He asked. His eyes searched around for them as he spoke, but they weren't around.

"Didn't they tell you? They were tasked with some Genovesan case or something. They'll be back soon." Merlin replied.

"I see..." Bryce scratched his shaggy beard and went deep in thought for a moment. "Well, let's hope everything goes alright."

"It will. We are talking about Jacob, he was always better than you when it came to stuff like this." Merlin was teasing his old friend to get a rise out of him.

"Stuff... like?" Clyde chimed in.

"Like, you know, being a ranger." Replied Merlin with an impish smile on his face.

"Well, I had been here the longest, so I know the times where both of you were far worse." Bryce chuckled.

"I was always perfect. You said so yourself." Merlin put on an exaggerated, prideful look. Bryce chuckled once again.

It's weird, thought Clyde. They were getting along by insulting each other, while he couldn't imagine having fun from having such a relationship with anyone. As he was thinking about this, the bickering of the two rangers had come to an end.

"Clyde, the archery training is on me again. Make it quick like Glade so I can rest." Merlin grabbed Clyde's arm and dragged him to the training spot. Clyde silently waved goodbye to his mentor, and he waved back. His trials were starting once again, but Clyde was not concerned at all.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

After getting his duties done, Bryce sat near the campfire they had lit for a small feast and tried to rest as the warmth coming from the delicate fire circulated inside his body. He started reminiscing about the past, almost falling asleep. He shook himself awake when Merlin appeared next to him.

"Oh, welcome." Bryce greeted the dark haired ranger.

"Who are you waiting for?" He asked.

"Clyde, of course." Replied the mentor. "Oh, for Jacob and Glade, too." He added.

"You seem to value them a lot now." said Merlin.

"Well, of course. Aren't we all close to each other?" Bryce smiled.

"I wish you weren't as close to me right now." Merlin teased his friend. "By the way, Clyde has gotten better, just a little though." He continued.

"That's really nice to hear." The mentor took the hair tie off his head and gave it a small shake.

"Shouldn't you cut those off already? You're tormenting your scalp." Bryce turned his head over to the familiar voice and smiled as he saw Jacob sitting to his other side.

"Finally. What took you so long?" Merlin questioned him.

"Sorry, having professional assassins chasing you for weeks tends to slow the process." Jacob replied, annoyed.

"Ah, now that you mentioned it, how did it go?" asked Bryce.

"No chance. That strutting peacock left no traces behind him." The blond ranger replied furiously.

Bryce sighed, he couldn't say anything. Merlin, surprisingly, kept silent as well.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting!" All three rangers turned towards the source of the loud new voice. It was the blond haired ranger, looking at them with his sparkling brown eyes. Beside him was Clyde, also smiling at them as he and Glade approached the group.

As soon as Glade stepped near the campfire, Jacob not so gently hit his apprentice's back.

"Thanks to you, everyone within three miles know we are here. Be quiet!" Jacob scolded Glade as Clyde sat next to his mentor, where Jacob was before.

A rare moment to be seen, all five of them were in the same place.

"So, how is everybody? You all sure look worn out." Bryce started the conversation.

"You're the one to speak, grandpa." Merlin kept teasing him.

"I couldn't have wanted a cup of coffee more in my entire life." Jacob sighed deeply. While searching around Genovesans was not an easy job, having no success was much more demoralizing.

"I'll prepare it!" Glade shot up in a moment to fetch some coffee, but Bryce stopped him.

"You two just arrived from exams. I'll handle it." He got up and took the coffee beans out of his bag, ready to ground them.

"How did you become a mentor, again?" Merlin questioned his friend's actions.

"Well, that's our Bryce, thinking about anyone before himself." Jacob smiled lightly and leaned his back on a tree, feeling comfortable after being warmed up by the flames.

"Clyde, you have so much to catch up on, I've written a journal just so you can read!" Glade excitedly told his friend. Clyde backed away a little and gave a concerned smile. He did like Glade, but he would prefer reading a letter than an entire journal he would read just for him.

"It was so exciting and thrilling! I almost died, thrice!"

"Pfft. More like over a dozen. I just saved your hide in every single one of them." Jacob cut his words.

"Well, yeah. I couldn't have a better mentor than Jacob." Glade added, a bit disheartened. "What did you two do while we were away?" He asked Clyde.

"Uh? Not much..." The ginger haired apprentice looked down. He couldn't remember anything exciting happening in the past few months, just regular business.

"Not much? Now I'm sure something important happened." Merlin smirked mischievously.

"R-really! Just... a writer..." Clyde's talking reduced into mumbles.

"Alright, coffee's ready!" Bryce came with several mugs in his arms. He poured the liquid into each of them, adding milk, sugar or honey in them according to the drinker. He could tell who would like what kind of coffee from heart.

Sipping their drinks, the five rangers kept teasing and talking to each other, feeling as warm as the fire burning over the logs, sending bright sparks over the dark, starry sky.

By the time the conversation was over and it was time to sleep, the fire had went out and the silver moon had shown its face. After the rangers took care of their horses, Bryce and Merlin got up to do their guard duty, while the others went to their tents to have a quick, revitalizing rest. From his training, Clyde was used to sleeping in tents and feeding off dried meat and fruit, so even on the hard surface of the tent, he fell asleep almost instantly.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Uncle, uncle! Which mushroom is that one?" an excited boy asked, his blue eyes flashing with excitement.

"This one?" the mushroom in the white haired old man's hand was burgundy coloured and its head was covered with a spike like shell, while the soft stem was almost pure white. "This is called 'The Devil's Cap'."

"Heheh... What a weird name!" the kid laughed with childish joy. "So, how does it work? What does it do?" Somehow, he felt like he wasn't feeling as happy as he thought he did.

"You see, if you eat this one, it will digest your stomach, so you need to dilute the juices and..." The old man carried on, but no matter how hard he tried, Clyde was not able to focus on what he was saying. It was like what he was seeing was not real. But he didn't want to believe it. He wanted to stay just a little longer. Even if he knew the man in front of him was dead, even if it was all his fault, he wanted to listen just one last time, but he couldn't.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Once again, Clyde woke up with a dry, almost silent shriek. He got up to check if he woke anyone up, but it seemed like that wasn't the case. Relieved, he went back in his tent to have a drink of water. After he finished, he was about to lay back down in the tent to try and sleep a bit more, but he got startled by the head of his mentor suddenly appearing inside of the tent.

"Clyde, is everything alright?" Bryce asked, concerned.

"I-I'm fine." Clyde tried to end the conversation. Bryce sighed deeply and went a bit more inside the small tent.

"Clyde... No matter how many times it happens, you still refuse to tell me what happened. Why?" he asked with a concerned and disappointed tone in his usually soft voice.

"I... I can't." Clyde avoided his mentor's eyes.

"I know it is personal but still, is it okay to not ask for help? I see you waking up in sweat every single night since the last few months, don't you know I noticed?" He kept talking.

"I know... B-but I just... I'm sorry!" Clyde grabbed his blanket and turned away from his mentor, as if not seeing him would make him disappear. Bryce sighed once more and went out of the tent, leaving his apprentice alone.

"Bry, Gordon is calling." Merlin appeared beside him.

"Alright, I hope it is nothing urgent." Replied the gloomy looking mentor as he started walking with him.

As they walked towards the Head Ranger's tent, Clyde felt regretful inside, being rude to his mentor. He slowly lifted the blanket he had tightly wrapped around himself off. Poking his head out of the tent, he noticed the tall ranger walking with his friend beside him, and followed them from a distance. After all, I wouldn't be able to sleep more, he thought to himself.

Once the duo stood in front of the tent, Clyde waited for them to finish talking with Gordon. However, as he was looking, he noticed a group of rangers around the tent, something that felt unusual to the boy. Could it be something important? Thought Clyde.

He saw Bryce and Merlin walking back, towards him. Bryce had a concerned look on his face, while Merlin just looked mildly annoyed.

"Seriously? I can just do this alone. It is my responsibility, anyway." Merlin whispered to Bryce, ranting.

"What do you mean? You need help with this, it is not that simple." replied the seasoned ranger, sweeping aside the strands of his long hair getting in front of his face.

Clyde pressed himself to the tree he had laid onto, standing very still. He felt like he might get in trouble for spying on them. However, he was apparently underestimating the capabilities of the couple of rangers.

"Ah, Clyde. I knew you would be here." Bryce approached him and put his arm on his shoulder, adding him to the small patrolling group.

"Bryce, I'm..." Clyde tried to apologise, but his words were cut off by an annoyed Merlin.

"So, what happened to our motto? What am I to do if I can't prevent a simple situation like this?" He insisted.

"Merlin, for the final time..." Bryce changed his tired look to a serious one. "This is not an uprising, it is much more. You, who have absolutely no experience in stopping cult activities, can't handle this alone."

"Why? Aren't I the better sniper between us?"

"This is not about archery!" Bryce rose furiously. This was the angriest Clyde had ever seen his mentor go. "I am not losing you because of your prideful remarks, because I am the more experienced between us I know that if you go alone, you'll die- or worse!" The worn out face of the shaggy bearded ranger was almost going to be soaked with tears.

"R-really, don't be ridiculous..." Merlin replied, scratching his messy hair, but as soon as he stuttered, he and Bryce both knew he lost the argument.

"I'm sorry, Clyde. What were you saying?" Bryce turned back to his apprentice.

"I..." Clyde paused for a moment.

"I want to go too!" He suddenly changed his goal. The ginger haired apprentice didn't want to be a shrieking mess and a constant load to his mentor, and if he went with them in this mysterious mission, he could do something, anything that will be of use. Reminding himself of how much he did in the recent Genovesan assassins' case, his blue eyes gazed fiercely at his mentor's eyes.

"C-clyde, that's..." Bryce tried to reject.

"Great! The more, the better. You insisted I need help, right?" Merlin cut in. Did he do this out of bitterness or because he believed in me? In that tense moment, Clyde couldn't help but wonder.

"Okay, I lost this one." Bryce uttered, somewhat disheartened. "Well, even if I said no, you'd just tag along anyway, right?" He patted the head of his apprentice, who looked at him and nodded, with a small smile on his face.

"Okay, so now you will naturally ask the details. I'll explain, but first we need to rest properly." Bryce said.

"We are patrolling, though." Merlin pointed out as Clyde went in his tent.

"Yeah, so much for a little nap." Bryce stretched his arms and yawned. It was a long patrolling shift awaiting both of them.


	15. Chapter 15: Norgate's Cold

The dawn had already broke, and the forest was brightened with the golden rays of sun while the forest birds woke up and started chirping. The weather was cloudy and despite the sun was up in the sky, it was cold. The rangers were getting ready for the second day of the gathering, but it was over for Merlin, Bryce and Clyde, who were appointed to a mission. As they woke up, they searched for Jacob and Glade, and found them getting prepared for their own mission.

"Still after the Genovesans?" asked Bryce, after greeting the mentor and apprentice.

"Yeah. Hopefully will be the last time." Jacob said with a tired look on his face.

"What will you do, Merlin?" Glade asked the ranger.

"Cult hunting stuff." He answered shortly.

"Cult hunting?" The blond apprentice appeared to be confused.

"Cults, huh? I hope it is not the weird kind." Jacob said, uninterested.

"I'm afraid it is a quite... Different case." Bryce uttered, deep in thought.

"Well, better not keep them waiting. We need to be off now. Come, Glade." Jacob quickly mounted on his horse and waited for his apprentice to ride on his own. As they waved goodbye to the trio, Bryce, Merlin and Clyde walked over to take their own horses.

"Ooh, that face I'm seeing... It's an 'I have a mission' face!" Gale greeted his owner. Clyde gently smiled at him and pet his mane.

"You'll stop getting excited after a while." Bryce's horse Feder said as if he was complaining.

"Well, you do the easiest part, anyway." replied his owner as he jumped on the saddle.

"Carrying you is the easiest part? Gale, don't you see the torture they are bringing upon us?" The old ranger horse poked fun at his owner.

"About time we get back in business." Went a voice unfamiliar to Clyde. Judging by its behaviour, the dark coated pony was Merlin's horse.

"Took the words right from my mouth. Don't waste any more time." Merlin said, annoyed by the antics of the horses.

As they rode towards the forest path that leads to a small plain, Clyde once again realized he didn't know where they were going.

"We're going to Norgate." said Bryce. Clyde had never heard of Norgate, so he kept looking at his mentor for an explanation.

"It's my Fief." Merlin unexpectedly joined the conversation. "It is hard living there with all the cold and the snow, and it pretty much becomes the most boring and tedious Fief ever once winter settles in. Still, it is entrusted to me, so it is my responsibility."

Hearing from Merlin, a very gloomy and disturbingly familiar place formed in Clyde's mind.

"It isn't that bad, though. It has one of the largest troops in Araluen, and also has two castles in it." Bryce said, optimistic.

"I guess..." Merlin went silent and so did the others, until Clyde broke the silence.

"So, the cult..." He tried to ask.

"It is a dangerous one. Fanatics that bring harm to everyone around them under the illusion of 'happiness'." Bryce replied with a grim look on his face.

"When I heard they were spotted in Norgate, I was surprised to see they could spread over there." Merlin said.

"Hopefully, we can find their traces over there." Bryce concluded the conversation.

As they kept riding towards Norgate, the chilly weather got even colder and the fresh, soft soil hardened as the grass over it became a hay like color.

"We're lucky, the campsite was not that far away from the Fief. We might even arrive tomorrow or the day after!" Bryce said cheerfully.

"We can't go further than this, Ace and the others need some rest." said Merlin, referring to the ranger horses. They could run for as long as they wanted them to, but they needed to take regular breaks to keep them healthy, and with the sunset painting the skies to a dark, purple color, he deduced that everyone could benefit from a few hours of sleep.

Exhausted, the trio of rangers started setting up the camp. They had taken blankets for the cold weather along with a paulin to protect them from rain and snow. As Clyde set up the paulin, Bryce prepared the dried meat and fruit, then checked their water supply, which was still nearly full. Then he turned to Merlin, who was taking care of his horse.

"Should we light a fire? You know around this place better."

"Better not." Merlin answered shortly. "There aren't many trees around and there might be some lone wolves, we'll get noticed." He explained.

After they silently ate the hard dried meat and drunk the water that took the flavour of leather as it stayed in the leather water bag, they grabbed the blankets and lied under the paulin to rest for a few hours.

"How much have you got?" A slender man with a thin mustache and fair ginger hair looked at the boy in front of him as he approached him, stumbling.

"I... Um... I have these..." He handed the man a handful of copper and silver pieces. His hands were shaking in fear.

"And?" The man kept his hand open as if he was waiting for more.

"T-that's... All I have." the ginger headed boy stuttered.

"So, you value your poor uncle this much?" The man's face took a frightening look.

"N-no, I... I tried my best but..."

"Your best wasn't enough!" He hit the boy on the head. The boy backed away in fear.

"Don't you get it? If you don't raise enough money for the medicine, he'll die and it will be your fault!" He roared. The kid in front of him felt very mixed feelings. Anger, hate, shame, sorrow, yet nothing positive to lift his spirits, or anything to make him feel better about himself or anyone.

"If you don't bring twice the amount by tomorrow..." The man grabbed a broom lying on the wall behind him. The boy's face went white as a sheet.

"P-please! I'll do it!" He was shaking abnormally.

"You better." The man was also shaking, but from fury as opposed to fear.

As he left, the boy went upstairs in tears and opened the door to the narrow, clustered room. He expected to see a pair of gentle blue eyes, but nobody was in the room. That's right, Clyde thought. He wasn't here anymore.

"You forgot all about me but not him, apparently." He heard the voice of the cruel man behind him. Deep inside, he wanted to love him, and he wanted to be loved, and he wanted to try, but no matter how much effort he spent, it was futile. He hated this. He hated everything in this place. He hated the cold, he hated that man, he hated the house and he hated himself.

Waking up once more, Clyde felt weak. He was tired of seeing nightmares, and tired of sleeping with the fear of seeing them again, and tired of hoping he would see his uncle again. He was about to think that he was tired of being a ranger too, but he kept himself from thinking that, for that would just make him ashamed with himself. Taking a deep breath, he looked at his right. Merlin and his mentor were sleeping soundly. He really envied them. Releasing his breath that he didn't noticed he held in, he laid back down and looked at the faded color of the paulin above him, unable to sleep, yet still tired. Suddenly, he felt his mentor's arm on his left side. Clyde thought that shaggy bearded man should have been seeing a dream of his own.

"It'll be fine... Clyde..." He mumbled in his sleep. Was he conscious? Was that just a piece of his dream? It didn't matter for Clyde. For a moment, he felt a bit warm inside, even with the cold weather surrounding them, then he slowly felt his eyelids closing, and gave in to his exhaustion.


	16. Chapter 16: Followers of Hyrd'mis

Morning came fast, but the rangers were up before the sun raised up. The paulin they had set up was moist because of a little drizzle. Clyde removed the paulin and folded it as Bryce collected the blankets and Merlin prepared the horses. It was colder than yesterday, and the droplets the drizzle formed on the grass had frozen, painting the ground to white.

"I-Is Norgate... this cold?" said Clyde, already feeling cold as he felt the warmth from the blanket disappear much faster than it settled in.

"No." Answered Merlin, making Clyde feel relieved, before continuing his sentence with "It is much colder.", destroying the relief of the boy just as instant as it arrived.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." said Bryce cheerfully.

"Okay..." Clyde rode on Gale and followed the other rangers on the road to Norgate.

The vibrant sunset was flashing on the forests and mountains as the time flowed quickly and the path towards the Fief was getting more lumpy and hard to cross as they proceeded through the hardened soil and the rocks that started to appear all around them. Dried grass on the soil was slowly leaving its place to bright, pure white snow, and as they kept treading the cold white sheet, the paths used by common travelers showed themselves as the parts of the road that had the snow on it melted down.

"Let's move a bit towards that part, shall we?" Suggested Bryce, pointing to the pathway of melted snow.

"Er... Why?" Clyde paused for a moment.

"Because moving on the fresh snow leaves obvious footprints. Do you actually listen to your lessons, or is Bry just that bad?" Merlin uttered in a condescending tone.

"Ah, yeah... Sorry." Clyde kept looking down as the rangers shifted their path.

"It's fine. It's not like we see a lot of snow in Greenfield, right?" Bryce tried to lighten the mood. The winters of Greenfield were not really cold and most of the time, it didn't snow at all. Clyde felt even colder remembering the soothing sunshine of his town. He never really liked cold places.

"Ah, here we are." From the horizon, the tall ranger had seen the towers of the Fief showing. The journey to Norgate was soon to come to an end.

"Oh... Thank God..." Clyde shuddered and dreamed of an inn warmed with log fire.

"Alright. Time to question the townsfolk." Said Merlin, focused on the mission.

"Hmm, I hope they didn't make their way in here before us." Bryce thought aloud. His usually calm voice sounded rather unsure.

"How can we... know?" Asked the curious apprentice.

"Well, I hope that it isn't the case, but if there were, say, anyone missing... Murdered... Or worse-" Bryce was listing the possibilities to a disturbed Clyde, but the seasoned ranger went silent for a moment.

"Or worse?" The ginger haired boy questioned.

"Well, arson." Bryce quickly said the first crime that came into his mind.

"So arson is worse than murder? I guess that kind of makes sense if people are trapped in or something." Merlin commented, uninterested.

As they talked, they were already in the gates of Norgate. Approaching the gate guards, even the color of their capes were enough to convince them to let them in, so Merlin didn't have to do any talking.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Now inside Norgate, Clyde looked around the large town surrounding them. There wasn't many people around, likely because of the snow, The boy thought. Besides the towers and castles, what caught his eyes was that noticing and discerning objects was much harder when everything was painted white by the ever falling snow. Despite that, he could see the gray cobblestone covering the ground, many houses made of stone bricks, or rarely, wood. There was an inn with a sign that had a drawing of a lizard on it. Looking at the sign once more with focused eyes, Clyde noticed that the writing on the sign read 'Slumbering Chameleon'.

"I'll take the horses. You do the talking." Merlin went to take the horses to a stable as he left Bryce and Clyde to do the questioning. Briefly considering his options, Bryce decided that the inn was the best place to start.

Walking towards the slightly worn out building, the mentor and the apprentice were silent.

Inside the inn was bright compared to the dim lighting outside, and it was definitely much warmer, too. The rangers were greeted by the innkeeper, who was glad to have some visitors in the current season. Winters in Norgate meant less work and even less money for innkeepers, because there were no travellers that would prefer the gloomy air around, and the difficulties in travel was not making it more likely. Something like a foreign, travelling bard was also a rare sight, so this inn lacked the cacophony of noise that almost every other inn had.

"Must be very tough days for you, pal." Bryce started the conversation to learn the latest news. In any town, the person that had heard the most gossip always would be the innkeeper.

"So it is, so it is." The chubby man with a rather large moustache complained to Bryce. He was tired of waiting for new customers all day, yet it was all he could wait for, having been well past the age to handle heavy work, and without any children to hand the work over. Patiently listening to him, Bryce waited for an opening to ask his questions.

"So, have you heard the news about those magicians?" He asked with a curious look on his face.

"Magicians?.. Well, not magicians, but some weird folk with red clothes left a few hours ago after preaching about 'happiness', or so I've heard." The innkeeper spoke.

"Hmm... You wouldn't expect cultists around this place, would you?" Bryce tried to keep the conversation flowing.

"I don't know much. They left with no harm done, that's a relief, my friend, it sure is." He replied, avoiding the stare of the ranger in front of him.

"Really? I've heard worse things, to be frank." Bryce kept questioning the man. He knew that the old man was hiding something from him.

"Er... Well... I think a man might have disappeared, but it's a bard, so might have just left the town on a whim."

"Yeah, probably." Bryce concluded his interrogation.

"Say, can you send three cups of coffee over here?" He added, to end the encounter on a sweet note for everyone involved.

As soon as they were finished talking, Merlin walked in, whitened with the snow all over his head and shoulders.

"Okay, I'm done. Now, are we moving in or not?"

"Oh, right. We'll have a room as well." Bryce checked his pouch as Clyde shifted his gaze over to the empty seats. The inn really had no customers other than them, or they were all asleep.

As they waited for their coffees, Merlin inspected the room as well.

"Where is that bard guy from before?" He asked the innkeeper.

"Er... He left a few days ago. Didn't even pay for the room, that cheap skate!" The chubby man answered as he put a tray with three cups over it on the counter, somewhat more forceful than usual as he probably was upset about the money.

"But that's not possible. I know him, he told me he would stay until spring to practice, even before the gathering." The ranger questioned him.

"People change, boy, they really do. Probably got fed up with this freezing weather and left without a noise." He answered again.

Merlin got up and went inside the room silently. Bryce paid for the coffee and left as well. His young apprentice, now with a warm body, sluggishly followed the couple of rangers as the innkeeper wished them a good night, counting the copper pieces in his hands behind the counter. Clyde briefly looked through the curtained window. The sun was long gone and now the sky was darker than before.

"We should look around the gates to see if we could find a trace. A missing person and people in red robes... I'm afraid that settles that they definitely were here." Bryce spoke as he sat on one of the beds in the crowded room.

"Darn it!" Merlin spat out furiously. "If we made it just a bit sooner, we could have caught them here and then."

"We still have some information, though." Bryce tried to lift up his friend's spirits.

"For what? A group of red turnips waltzing around is something we already would be on lookout for." He continued ranting.

"Well, we can ask around the place. There has to be some people staying home." Bryce tried to explain.

"Do they have... Horses?" Clyde asked, wondering if he could help.

"Probably. I mean, why would they walk on foot in winter? They leech out a lot of money, too, they can afford it." Merlin answered, still moody.

"And even if we were to follow footprints, they probably took the pathway and we can't discern them from other people unless they walk over fresh snow." Bryce told his apprentice. Clyde thought of something to suggest, but he was confused, and he could clearly see the others were, as well. For now, there was nothing to do but sleep.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

After a few hours' rest, The rangers woke up before the day broke and took the horses out of the stable. It looked like they were still far from catching the cultists, because even after they asked around the town, they could only learn that the suspicious people were intolerable and annoying.

Scratching his beard, Bryce thought to himself loudly.

"That feels wrong. I'm aware that the gossiping and rumors change the situation often, but something clearly doesn't add up."

"I... I don't know..." Clyde was still trying to make sense of the situation.

"I got it." Merlin chimed in suddenly. "It's the worst outcome." He spoke with a grim tone. Bryce sighed loudly.

"Is that so? Then we need to take action at once."

"What is..." Clyde couldn't ask his question as Merlin yelled as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Aha! Look over there!" He pointed to the gate. Behind the doors, there was a far away, obscured object that had sunk into the snow.

Moving swiftly, they made their way just outside Norgate's tall gate where the object laid.

"It's a broken lute. That's curious." Bryce said, pulling the stringed instrument out of the pile of snow.

"Don't speak without knowing. That's a mandola." Merlin said, snatching the instrument from the tall ranger's hand.

"This wasn't there when we arrived, and there are no other bards in the town." Merlin turned towards the others.

"This clears out my suspicions. Look at the pathway, there are traces on the fresh snow. The bard didn't really leave the town, nobody actually saw him leave. The cultists came in and took him away!"

"So he didn't leave the inn voluntarily?" Bryce asked.

"You know cultists and their honeyed words. Probably preyed on him to be the new method of spreading their fame over the country." Merlin said as he checked the traces.

"I'll risk it. We are following the traces!" He jumped on his horse Ace and went after the marks left on the fresh snow.

"Merlin!" Clyde rode on his own horse and followed after him.

"See, that's why I went with you. So impatient..." Bryce went after the duo, fearing that his friend would put himself in danger with his overflowing confidence.

The traces really did lead up to something, and that something was three horses carrying two people each, with all but one wrapped in bright red robes. Merlin had already closed the distance, while Bryce and Clyde were behind him.

"Stop right there! I am The King's ranger!" Merlin shouted as he shot an arrow from his dark coloured longbow. The arrow missed by a notch and caused the cultists to notice the ranger catching up to them.

"I won't miss the next shot, so you better stop!" He shouted again.

"Oh, are you really going to go against our dear lord Hyrd'mis? Such troublesome rangers." The cultist leading the group spoke.

"I don't care about Hydr... Whatever that is. Just release the bard!" Merlin said as he held his bow and shot another arrow. This time, the arrow skewered through one of the horses' body, scattering the group and causing them to slow down.

Bryce and Clyde finally caught up to the dark haired ranger.

"Merlin, what do you think you are doing?!" Bryce said furiously.

"My job! Why are you all upset? I figured it out on my own, so I took off knowing you would follow." He answered.

"I..." Bryce took a deep breath. "Sorry, I got tense. Still, rely on us a little. You are putting yourself in danger." He explained more calmly.

"Fine, cut the small talk. We got a cult to deal with." Merlin ended the conversation and rode towards the horse that carried the bard. Bryce took his bow out and watched for his friend's back.

"Clyde, slow them down. I got both of you." He said without looking at his apprentice. The ginger headed boy nodded and pulled tighter on the reins of Gale while taking a bottle of cloudy fluid out of his medicine bag. He lobbed the flask forward and watched as the smokescreen he made covered the sight of their target. He looked at Merlin, who now had the chance to save the captive bard.

"Come on!" Merlin reached out his hand to the bard, but the eyes of the young man was blank.

"Why? I am going to meet Hyrd'mis! Isn't that nice?" He smiled in the most uncanny way. Merlin looked distraught for a moment, and noticed the crimson coloured crystal the man had hung over his neck as a pendant.

As he reached to grab it, the cultist riding the horse pulled out a long knife out of his robes, but was halted by Bryce's arrows before he could attack Merlin.

"Not bad, Bry!" Merlin shouted at his old friend, then he reached over and grabbed the crystal pendant. At that moment, something that he couldn't predict had happened.

"W-what are you doing?! Keep away from my enlightenment, monster!" The bard tried to throw the ranger off his horse, but the adept ranger didn't budge. However, when another cultist riding a horse rammed into Ace, he almost tumbled over the snow. Cornered by the cultists and the surprisingly hostile bard, Merlin threw his bow aside and pulled out two saxe knives from their sheaths.

"Bold of you to underestimate me like that." He uttered as he fought back against the four remaining cultists using both knives to block their strikes with expertise.

Suddenly, one of the cultists took out a bottle of red liquid out and raised it high.

"Merlin, run!" Clyde screamed in terror, raising his voice abnormally high as both rangers looked over to him.

Merlin signaled his horse and instantly fell back, nearly being engulfed in the crimson mist produced by the bottle thrown by the woman in red robes.

"That's... Devil's Cap..." The young apprentice said, breathing heavily. "It would... corrode your body..."

"So that was close. Nice one." Merlin thanked the apprentice in his own way.

"That kid... How does he know?" The leading cultist looked at the ginger headed boy in disbelief.

"I don't know, but let's not waste this talent." Answered the woman in red clothes.

Suddenly, the bard was knocked off of his horse and Merlin instinctively rushed to help the man. Little did he notice, several bottles of smokescreen was thrown in the air as he wasn't looking.

As soon as the bottles crashed on the ground, an unimaginable amount of dark smoke filled the air, getting into the lungs of the rangers and blinding them completely.

"Bry, where are you?" Merlin said, coughing as he leapt to the ground and held the young man in his arms.

"Clyde! Clyde!" Bryce yelled as his eyes frantically searched for the ginger headed apprentice.

"Bryce! Don't-" Clyde's voice was muffled as Bryce ran past the cloud of smoke. Seeing the apprentice on the cultists' horse, struggling to escape their grasp, Clyde looked at his mentor in terror.

Bryce quickly aimed at the leader and threw his strikers, but the metal weapon missed as his eyes hurt from the charcoal that got in.

Bryce nearly caught up to the cultists, but at that moment, he couldn't see the red flask thrown directly at his path.

Instinctively, Feder threw his owner off him and got caught in the red mist.

"Feder!" Bryce screamed as he rolled on the sea of white. The horse was struggling and shrieking in pain, fallen down to its knees.

By the time the clouds dispersed and Merlin approached his old friend, the cultists had left with Clyde and had disappeared into the forests covered with snow.

"Where is Clyde?" Merlin asked, but he already knew the answer from the tearful face of the shaggy bearded ranger.

"Feder... Clyde... I..." He looked down and slammed his fist on the ground again and again.

"Again... I did it again... I can't believe it." His eyes blinded with despair, he didn't see his friend standing next to him.

"Bryce, Bryce!" Merlin yelled loudly and finally caught his attention. "I'm calling the veterinary." He pointed to the suffering Feder. His chestnut coloured coat was burnt away in parts, now turned into a bright red. "Don't you see it, he's dying, come on!"

The tall ranger got up silently and stood there as Merlin rode back towards Norgate. One thing happening right after another with no suspense, his deepest fears coming true one by one, the cheerful mask that the shaggy bearded ranger once wore was shattered into pieces.


	17. Chapter 17: Divided We Fall

"R-release me!" The ginger headed apprentice shrieked as the red robed cultists carried him over to the dark, gloomy tent inside their small camp.

Clyde had panicked couldn't notice where they took him, but it seemed like this small group of cultists were not the main force. The young apprentice couldn't imagine how a group of alchemists could impact Araluen this much.

"Shh... Stay silent child, you're among friends." The leader of the cultist group lifted the crimson hood from his head and revealed his aged, fair coloured face. His dark coloured eyes radiated a gentle aura around him, but Clyde could never trust any of them at that point.

"Among... Friends? Nonsense!" He struggled to break the grip of the two other cultists holding him from each of his arms.

"Well, you're not wrong. Who greets a friend like this, William?" The woman staying beside the old man was also wearing the cultists' outfit. Clyde recognized the women from the recent fight.

"You are right as always, Ruby." William, the older cultist, smiled innocently as he signaled the cultists to tie the ginger headed boy to a chair.

"S-stop! Don't come near!" Clyde screamed at the top of his lungs as the old cultist approached him with a small crystal in his hands.

"Calm down, my friend. I just want to show you the beauty of our lord, Hyrd'mis." William replied with a serene voice.

"Y-you're going to... hurt me! I k-know!" Clyde struggled even harder with the sudden surge of emotions coming from the past. Somehow, taking a quick glance at the crimson crystal seemed to made him feel mad.

"Hurt? Yes, you seem to be hurt... Inside your mind, am I wrong?" The cultist kept getting closer.

"No worries. Just look into the crystal. The beautiful, deep crimson... The true colours of our lord, he who will embrace anyone and grant them eternal pleasure..." He held the crystal closer and closer to the boy's face.

As Clyde was forced to look at the crystal, he felt even more angry. Those thoughts he had for himself, for his father, for everything, grew up like the flames of a large bonfire.

"Do you feel mad? About the past, maybe?" The cultist kept talking.

"I... Yes." Clyde answered. What would they do with that information, anyway?

"Look into the crystal. Our lord Hyrd'mis appreciates how far you've come, how much you improved yourself. The only obstacle to your eternal happiness... is the past." He concluded with a creepy, yet caring tone in his voice.

Clyde looked deeply into the crystal. The searing feeling of hatred was tiring. He wanted to end it. He wanted to stop reminding himself of the past. He wanted to get rid of it. What would he do without the memories of his uncle? But he wouldn't remember his father, and all the suffering he had taken.

Clyde paused for a few minutes as the crystal consumed his thoughts. He... He could just get rid of his personality. If he weren't himself, nothing bad would have happened. This Hyrd'mis surely accepted how he felt. He wanted to be happy for so long... Would it be the final step at achieving his happily ever after?

"Bravo. Now, with a flick of my fingers, your suffering from the past will be vanished." The cultist smiled in a dark manner that destroyed his facade in a split second, snapping his fingers. The victory was his.

"Come on Bry, lend me a hand already." Merlin called the still startled ranger as he tried to yank the crystal pendant from the bard's neck.

"You will prevent my eternal happiness!? I won't allow you to!" The bard struggled.

Bryce sighed, then approached the bard from behind, walking slowly and silently. Then he suddenly caught the man by his arms and watched as Merlin cut the hard, thick rope of the pendant off as he kept struggling.

"My enlight... Er... Who... Who are you guys?" Finally let go, the Bard's senses were slowly coming to himself.

"I'm Merlin, remember? I was pretty much your only customer, no wonder people don't pay you even a piece of copper." The dark haired ranger said sarcastically.

"Ah, the rangers... How did I get here?"

"Come on, we'll tell when we make it back to Norgate." Merlin replied, already bored of the situation.

"So, they were targeting me? I just thought they really liked my songs." Said the bard, disappointed. As they warmed up in the empty inn, he had regained his consciousness.

"Seriously? It should have been obvious! I won't save your hide if you get tricked by another weird cult and preach about Drag'har or something." The blue eyes of the ranger glared at the bard.

"Clyde... Where's Clyde!?" Bryce suddenly spoke after a few minutes of silence.

"Eh? Who's Clyde?" The bard asked cluelessly.

"Where is he? Tell me, you have to!" Bryce held the man by his shoulders and shook him almost violently.

"C-calm down! I didn't see him!" The bard screamed for his dear life.

"Bry! What has gotten into you!? Let the guy go!" Merlin rose up quickly.

"Hey, you know where the cult went next?"

"Uh... Erm... I think they said... Ghoulsbane?" The bard answered, trying to calm down.

"So, that is the next destination. Bry, I've sent Gale and Feder over to the stable. Now come see him and let's go." Merlin left without waiting for the old ranger still sitting on the chair, his face cupped by his hands.

"Forgive me, I'm not feeling too well." Bryce said with an unfamiliar, silent voice, throwing a silver coin at the surprised bard as he left the inn. The bard made sure in his mind to make some songs praising the rangers and shaming the cults, and he quickly forgot about the incident as he thought about what song to play next.

"Is he ready?" Merlin asked the man taking care of the smoky cream coloured horse. The horse looked smaller than the other horses in the stable, but its barrel shaped body was looking as sturdy as them. Done with the grooming, the man wiped a few drops of sweat off his forehead as the horse shook its fair coloured, long mane comfortably. Merlin watched them, waiting for a response as he got impatient by the second.

"Ah, right." The man put the saddle on the horse. "He's ready."

"Hello there. Is Feder here?" Bryce suddenly appeared in the stable. The long strands of hair on the ranger's head were messy and greasy, showing how much of a hurry he was in to see his injured horse's situation.

"Yep, yep! Sure is!" In a moment, the chestnut coloured horse appeared in front of the tall ranger. The elderly eyed of the tired horse looked at his owner with apologetic eyes.

"Feder... I owe you my life once more." Bryce pet the nose of the horse, shifting his gaze to the reddish burn marks on the body of the horse.

"You have done enough to pay for it. Although, I would have liked to have one last apple..." The horse said.

"Y-you mean..." Bryce was startled.

"Quit it already, chestnut!" Merlin glared at the horse.

"I'll survive this, no problem. Just wanted to see if you would care if this old horse was to die." Feder uttered, lowering his head down.

"Nonsense. After all we did together, I won't forget a thing about you. As soon as you heal up, we..." The gloomy ranger looked around as if he sensed he had said something wrong.

"About that..." The veterinary spoke.

"I'm afraid your horse won't be able to be of service anymore." He said as if he were apologizing.

"Feder... So that's how it is." Bryce shed a tear and let his hands go through the mane of the horse.

"Don't be that sad. I've been looking forward to my retirement. Time to pass the torch on..." Feder shook his head and scattered a few strands of hair from his mane as he slowly walked away to start his new life.

"And this is the unlucky one that gets to be yours now." Merlin said sarcastically as he walked towards his friend, along with the horse that had a smoky cream coloured coat.

"Life without Feder at my side will be hard..." Bryce paused for a second.

"But I won't let that affect my stance to you, my friend." He gently pet the new horse.

"This is Pfeil. Poe personally brought him over here. His password is 'Like a river'." Said Merlin.

"Okay, I guess I should give it a try. Like a river." Bryce jumped on the horse, only to be violently thrown off the saddle. Landing on a sack of wheat, Bryce got up visibly annoyed as Merlin laughed impishly.

"So funny, Merlin. That cheered me up. What's the password? The real one, please." asked the tall ranger, disappointed.

"Sorry, not sorry. Couldn't help it." He kept chuckling. "It's 'Like the wind'."

Uttering the correct password, Bryce finally got on Pfeil.

"Nice to meet you, owner! I will do whatever it takes to protect you!" said the new horse with a childish joy.

"Please don't take whatever it takes. I've got enough people killed for that reason." Said the gloomy ranger with a silent voice.

"Are you okay? I want to cheer you up!" The horse excitedly said.

"Want to cheer me up... Go kick Merlin in the guts!" Said Bryce jokingly.

"What? He finally snapped! Don't kill me..." Merlin played along with the joke.

Suddenly, he flew over to another sack of wheat with a light kick from Pfeil.

"Ow! Weren't you kidding, Bryce? What a heartless monster." Merlin got up slowly.

"Are you happy now?" Asked the energetic horse.

"Oh, about that..." Bryce struggled to prevent himself from chuckling.

"I was joking but I guess that really did lift my spirits up a little."

"Okay! From now on, whenever you feel sad, I shall hit that blue eyed guy!"

"Bryce, do you want a new horse? You'll have to get a new one if you don't silence this one." Merlin said threateningly.

"Okay, okay. Pfeil, don't hit Merlin again. I was kidding." Bryce put on a forced smile and left the stable with the grumpy ranger. It was a change, maybe not welcome, or not wanted, but it happened and he felt like he needed to get used to it. And most important of all...

He needed to find his apprentice before too late.


	18. Chapter 18: Writer's Block

As they rode away from Norgate, The snow beneath the hooves of the horses melted away and soon revealed the grassy soil and the lovely, colourful sea of flowers beneath. Trying to get used to his new horse as he was thinking about the past, Bryce didn't talk as much as usual. Merlin kept his silence as well, until the cold atmosphere between the two of them finally managed to irritate the dark haired ranger.

"So, you ever been to Ghoulsbane?" he asked in an uninterested tone.

"Huh? Oh... No, I don't think so." Bryce answered, obviously deep in thought.

"It's been Darc's Fief for a while, so don't have high expectations." Merlin said jokingly. Darc was also in both his and Bryce's circle of friends, but as a rather busy person, he hadn't joined them for a while. Seeing as the horses were silenced by the tension, Merlin thought he could lighten up the mood by talking about a familiar person, but seeing the gloomy look on his old friend's face, he knew he had failed.

"Hey... Look, I know you aren't in the best mood right now, but at least try to focus on something else. You didn't force me to take you with me for nothing, did you?"

Merlin tried to snap him back to reality.

"I am fine, Merlin. I was just thinking about... Well, just don't mind me."

"I am minding you because you're acting unusual!" Merlin snapped. "Seriously, the first time I admit I need your help, and what happens is this? You need to shake yourself awake! Nobody solves problems by brooding!"

Bryce looked at him with a blank stare and turned his head to his front without saying anything.

"I'm just... Forget it. Let's just go to the Fief and get this over with." Merlin ended the conversation.

Finding curious traces of glass shards and prints of hooves along the way, the couple of rangers had been assured that the cultists had indeed taken the route that went through Ghoulsbane. Approaching Ghoulsbane, Merlin took a glance at the Fief surrounded by a slim wall, along with the cemeteries that gave it its name, that appeared past the small forest surrounding the north of the town.

"Here we are." Merlin got off his horse and greeted the town guards, and passed through the gate with Bryce.

The following hours were desperate, yet futile attempts at finding traces from the cult from anywhere possible. Starting by visiting Darc's hut, Merlin headed to the forest while Bryce handled renting the rooms in the inn and hearing the gossip flying around. Being a mostly empty place, the peaceful looking Fief only had one inn and tavern in it. After being done, they met in the town square to share their information.

"I should have known, Darc is in a mission. What an unreliable guy, now we have to take care of his Fief's problems." Merlin complained as usual.

"I got the room. The townsfolk has no gossip or witnesses about the cult." Bryce explained his side of the story shortly. Seeing as the sky had started turning into its familiar black color, they moved to their room in the inn.

"We'll find some sort of trace. I'm sure." Merlin reassured his friend before laying down on the bed and seemingly falling to sleep instantly. Looking at him, Bryce took a deep breath and laid down on another bed. He was in a total confusion whether it was about his emotions or his thoughts. Wishing to snap out of the desperate form he had taken, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Bryce, come with us! Look at the skirts of that hill, full of white lilies!" a beautiful woman in a lime coloured dress pointed at the gorgeous view of the place.

"I'm coming!" The shaggy bearded ranger took quick steps towards his wife, and saw a small spot in the view become bigger and bigger as he realized it as his daughter.

"Papa, papa! Look, I made you a flower crown!" The shoulder length hair of the girl was decorated with flowers. Running towards his dear father, she lifted the crown high up.

"There you are. I missed you so much!" The tall ranger kneeled down and embraced her as she put the crown on his head. His wife had also come as they talked. Looking at the two of them, Bryce felt unbelievable joy brimming from his heart. How could he not? These were the people he had dedicated his life for. It would explain how empty he felt now that they were gone because of his failure. There were no more flower crowns for Bryce. He didn't deserve anything.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Opening his eyes, Bryce felt a familiar, eerie feeling as he realized he had seen a nightmare for the first time since months. His hands searched for the white lily he had as a memento of his late wife and daughter, but then he realized that it wouldn't help. After all, Clyde was in danger because of his incompetence. How could he relax by holding a dried flower at a time like this?

"Hey, you awake too?" Merlin asked suddenly, slightly startling him.

"Nightmares." The long haired ranger turned his back to his friend.

"Figures..." The blue eyes of the young man looked rather concerned and pressured. He looked up into the ceiling and released a small sigh.

"You know... I don't really understand how you feel." Merlin started to open up.

"Or rather, I can't understand. Because I've been born into this job. You became a ranger, I was always a ranger. I've learned to deal with feelings the hard way. So whenever something like this happens, it just... Gets in the way." He looked at his friend beside him as if he was afraid of making him feel worse.

"I know, but can't change how I feel, Merlin. It's not easy to shut yourself off like that." Bryce turned towards the dark haired ranger. His eyes had the look of someone who experienced pain far too much than necessary.

"I'm not telling you to do that, but you need to... You need to shake yourself awake already!" Merlin rose. "I'm not good at comforting anyone, and you don't need comfort for this. Be afraid, be anxious, it doesn't matter as long as we do our job!" He breathed quickly and laid back on the bed.

"That's how you grew up." Bryce sighed and turned away from him once again. "Let's just sleep. I don't want to talk about this."

Merlin silently turned away on his bed and sighed as well. Every time he tried to be gentle, things had always ended up like this. I've gone and done it again, he thought as he forced himself to sleep.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

As the sun rose up in the sky again, the couple of rangers had left their room and went to the inn counter to order a light breakfast. Bryce and Merlin waited and checked around the inn for any suspicious activity as the innkeeper boiled some eggs and took out a wheel of cheese to cut and put some over the plate, along with some greens and fresh tomatoes.

"It's like before, nobody is acting like something's up. So weird..." Merlin looked around with a judgemental stare.

"They aren't the usual kind, I can tell." Bryce replied. "Targeting people one by one to build what is essentially a network that tricks people to join them... Just how complicated could they make it? It truly doesn't make sense. And Clyde..."

"Not the time nor place for that, Bry. Let's just eat." Merlin cut him off before he could remember the painful details of his memories coming from a both days and years ago.

After they finished their breakfast, the rangers went to the town square that was slowly starting to get more lively. It could be the most cheerful atmosphere this Fief could have, as the morning sun shining on the newly set stands and people running about in their ordinary life made the place look much more lifelike than it was in the evening. Walking through the town square, green caped rangers looked around the stands and couldn't find anyone wearing red, let alone in robes. Finally reaching the end of the circular town center, they decided to check the stands one by one. There were people selling stuffed toys, hats and scarves, fruit and vegetables and anything the everyday townsfolk might buy, except for the last stand, which looked suspiciously alien to the chain of stands with its worn out look. Looking through the crowds and seeing the man running the stand, Bryce paused for a second, then moved swiftly without warning and reached the back of the stand. Merlin followed him, wondering what he had in his mind.

"So, the royal family is actually not completely Araluan, therefore you ca-"

"You!" Bryce, interrupting the conversation of the brown haired person in the lavender colored clothes that has obviously been going around for a while.

"I... huh? Eeep!" The writer, being found out once again, tried to run away in desperation, but was caught easily.

"So, we meet again. You said that you would see me later, right?" The tall ranger said in a carefree manner while holding the man's arm firmly.

"I didn't mean it this way, idiot!" He tried to struggle his way out with no success. The crowd in front of the stand had already disappeared. Bryce walked back towards the inn while dragging the writer behind him.

"Are you really going to arrest me? Come on!" He shouted furiously.

"Hey Bry, is this guy, like... Bad news?" Asked Merlin who was just silently following them until then.

"Sort of. But I'm not taking him to the judges." Replied the ranger.

"What? Then where are we going?" Asked the writer.

"To the inn."

"What, we are drinking buddies now? Spill the beans, what are you going to do to me!?" The man, once again, started to struggle violently until Merlin took out one of his knives and poked him in the back in a manner that could be described as anything but gentle.

"I don't know what we'll do there, but I know what I will do if you don't shut up right now." He said in a slightly annoyed tone.

After finding a silent spot in the inn, they sat on some chairs, Merlin and Bryce picked their chairs so that the writer was trapped in the corner.

"So, who is this guy and what did he do to you?" The dark haired ranger asked Bryce.

"Oh, just a writer named Gilbert that spread gossip about your majesty himself." The long haired ranger chuckled.

"Then why did you make us bring him here, don't we have more important things to deal with?!" Merlin rose up furiously.

"No, I don't think we do. Do you see any leads we could check outside?" Bryce asked.

"So what, he knows about these red people and 'their Lord' Hryd... something?" Merlin asked back in a sarcastic manner.

"Well, what I'm saying is that we looked for new gossip and we have it right here." He pat the back of the writer as he finished his sentence.

"Okay then, you can talk." Merlin lowered his hand that held the saxe knife.

"Whew... You don't mean harm, after all." The guy in lavender released a breath of relief. "So, you two are my new customers? In that ca-"

"No, no. We aren't customers." Merlin cut his words. "We probably will arrest you right after we're done, so do us a favor and avoid the small talk."

"In that case... I... I refuse to speak." The writer crossed his arms.

"Oh? My friend disagrees with that." As Merlin said that, The writer looked at the tall ranger beside him in visible fear, but Bryce wasn't doing anything.

"Not that one you dolt, this one!" Said Merlin as once again raised his saxe knife.

"So, you're j-just going to play the hard way, huh..." Gilbert uttered in defeat.

"What do you know of those red cultists that have been going around?" Asked Bryce.

"Red? Y-you mean the Crimson Mist. Those guys are dangerous, don't mess with them."

"Too late. Tell us more." Merlin threateningly shook his knife.

"Okay, okay! I will!" The writer said in retaliation. "The Crimson Mist cult, they apparently follow something they call Hyrd'mis. They have talented alchemists and apparently they kidnap people."

"But why kidnap people, exactly?" asked a curious Bryce.

"I-I don't know, the rumors say they have big plans, not like an usual cult."

"So you heard that, but not what they plan... really?" Said Merlin, really annoyed.

"I-I know, right? Welcome to the world of gossip." Gilbert shrugged, sounding somewhat concerned.

"Let's cut to the chase. Do you know where they are right now?" Bryce asked, getting agitated by the minute.

"Erm... W-will you really kill me if I say no?" Gilbert looked really frightened for a moment.

"Depends." Merlin answered shortly.

"Okay... The fact is, um... That is..." The writer's face was a dark blue. For some reason, Merlin's carefree threats seemed to be more effective than usual. But is that the only thing? Bryce thought to himself.

"Look, we won't actually kill yo-"

"Okay, I'll tell! I swear, I'll tell! I know where they are!" Overwhelmed with emotions, Gilbert suddenly jumped and clinged to Bryce. "Please, help me! You have to, I've got nowhere to go!" He uttered desperately.

"Wait, wait, calm down now. Deep breaths." Said a surprised Bryce, silencing the frightened writer as he looked over to see if the innkeeper was looking at them.

"We can't talk here. Come." Merlin suddenly got up and signaled the others to follow him.

Going through the noisy town square to the stable, The rangers and the writer kept talking.

"Now... What is it? Why do you need help?" Asked Bryce.

"The Crimson Mist... Help me..." Gilbert was shaking in fear.

"The cult reached out to you?" Merlin asked, surprised.

"T-they are going to kidnap me too. I know it. I'll betray them and help you, so save me!" Gilbert was clearly afraid for his own life. Merlin quieted him and kept talking.

"What is their objective?"

"They are taking over Araluen! Pulling talented people in one by one and spreading everywhere..."

"Did you see a ginger headed boy with them?" Bryce asked excitedly.

"Yes, I think so. I didn't look carefully, but..."

"Clyde... I promise I will find you." Bryce uttered to himself.

"So, you know where they are? Then you will lead us as we ride." Asked Merlin once again.

"Yeah, I will. I promise." The writer answered.

"Good. If you are leading us to a trap, or we see that you were lying, you know what will happen." He said with a threatening, ice cold face. Gilbert swallowed nervously.

Finally reaching the stable, they took the horses. Bryce rode on Pfeil and Merlin rode on Ace. Gilbert stood there awkwardly.

"You ride Ace, too." Said Merlin.

"Which one is Ace?" Asked the writer.

"The smarter one." Answered Merlin, earning himself the smoky cream colored horse's glare.

Once they were on the horses, they went out from the gates of Ghoulsbane.

"Where do we go?" Asked Bryce.

"We go to the Redwood Town." Answered Gilbert. "I'm sure they will start taking over soon."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"So, is the boy ready yet?" Asked the man with the dark, creepy yet gentle looking eyes to the woman in red clothes.

"Yes, I believe so. Why don't we check, William?" answered Ruby, smiling devilishly.

"If you insist. Oh, Cleo? Won't you come over here?" William called in a man with a thin mustache.

"Alright, what do you suggest I do, William?" The thin man answered.

"Just show the results of our research." The smile on the old man's face couldn't belong to anything but the devil.

Cleo nodded and signaled the boy to come. Having goggles with red lenses fastened on his head and wearing the same red clothes as anyone else, Clyde was looking just as emotionless as his mentor had found him starving in the woods.

"Tell me, do you love Hyrd'mis?"

"I do. Hyrd'mis is the only one that understands me."

"Then tell me, what is a ranger?"

"The enemy. They want to hurt me. I will kill them." The boy's expression behind the crimson goggles was grim.

"And..." The man paused for a second.

"Say that you love me."

"I love you, Cleo." Said the ginger headed boy in a monotone, apathetic way.

"Say that you love me with a smile."

"I love you, Cleo." Clyde gave the thin man a smile that didn't belong to himself.

"Well done, well done!" William clapped at the sight of the slave in crimson.

"This was the final step. The invasion shall start soon."


	19. Chapter 19: The Curse of Hyrd'mis

The path to Redwood was a three days long trip. The town in the outskirts was a perfect place for an invasion as it was pretty close to the prestigious Redmont Fief and not so far from the royal castle, as well. It got its name from the strange trees with reddish wood inside the hardened bark, which surrounded just outside the town and gave the houses inside their signature red color. Ghoulsbane was positioned towards the northeast of the town, and the actual distance was not the problem for the rangers, but the travelling conditions and the harsh terrain was going to make it a challenging and long journey. As the talented ranger horses stepped on the rowdy, rocky road, the sun was bidding farewell to the group, leaving only the eerie silence of the night behind itself.

"Should we camp? It's getting late." Suggested Bryce.

"I can still run, I don't need rest!" Pfeil attempted to impress his owner.

"You're so sweet, but I think we all need a quick rest." Bryce pet the beige mane of the young horse. "Follow me, Merlin. Let's find a smooth spot to place our stuff." He added.

"Sure." Merlin answered shortly. Then he started prodding the brown haired man in lavender clothes, who was sleeping leaning on him through the half of the road. "Hey, lazy writer guy. Wake up and help us."

"Mhm... What?! Are we under attack? Where?" Gilbert the writer woke up in shock.

"Why didn't we just leave him there, again?" Merlin asked Bryce in front of him with a cruel look on his face.

The camp was not the best in terms of conditions, and definitely not the best in terms of food. Some of the corroding gas had burned through and destroyed a portion of the food supply, and the remaining meat and fruit had a texture akin to a leather boot. Merlin was actually convinced it tasted like a leather boot after biting into the meat in his hands. Regardless, the rangers finished their meal without complaining, while Gilbert was sure he spent more energy to chew the meat than the amount he would gain after eating it.

Finally lying under the paulin, the group had an uncomfortable rest of around five hours until Bryce grew restless from nightmares.

"How many days must we travel for? I'm already done for." Gilbert said as he tried to ride on Ace, following Merlin.

"If you're just going to complain, the only travel you'll get will be one straight to the grave." Merlin threatened the man with an intense glare.

"We don't have the luxury of acting relaxed. You can complain all you want after we find Clyde." Bryce said in a more understandable and calm voice.

Riding on the horses once more, they kept travelling towards Redwood. The road was getting even more rocky and the horses slowed down to avoid breaking their legs.

"At this rate, it will take ages until we could even see the town from afar." Bryce said as he looked at the feet of his horse. They didn't look battered or hurt but they could be if they kept going through.

"Why don't we take the forest route?" Suggested Merlin.

"Wouldn't that just slow us down? The path we have now is straight." Gilbert chimed in.

"But this straight rocky route is also slowing us down." Bryce answered. "We need time, so we'll do what takes the least amount. I second the forest idea." He added.

"Well, what do I know?" Gilbert shrugged and went along with the rangers as Ace moved out of the way gently.

The forest path was much easier to go through with its softer terrain and scarce trees. Looking at the map continuously, Bryce directed the group to draw a big arc inside the forest that would connect with the end of the rocky road. As they proceeded through the woods, the trees became more frequent and slowly took the form of the reddish trees of Redwood.

"See, the red trees are appearing. We're likely to be there in a couple of days or so." said Bryce. The long haired ranger was looking at the path ahead with concern mixed with dedication in his eyes.

"Good. I was almost going to say I missed Norgate." Merlin uttered with a tired voice.

"Good thing you guys are here to protect me and all, this place is scary." Gilbert looked around frantically.

"We're not here to protect you. It's a 'keep us informed and we won't kill you' relationship." Merlin kept threatening the man behind him.

"Merlin, to your right." Bryce warned the dark haired ranger upon seeing the shadowy figures just outside the forest.

"Are you kidding me!?" Merlin whispered in surprise. Once they got a clear view, the blurry, crimson figures turned into a group of familiar cultists.

Bryce pet near the mouth of his smoky cream coloured mount and whispered.

"Pfeil, silent."

The young horse instantly slowed its steps and treaded the soil lightly as to not make any noise. The shaggy bearded ranger pulled the hood of his cloak and disappeared from view. Merlin gave the same command to Ace and followed what he could see from the movements of Pfeil.

"Bry, let's do a pincer!" Merlin told him just before slowing down. The long haired ranger agreed with a hand gesture and went on ahead.

"What's a pin-"

"Gilbert, silent." Merlin said in an instant, not allowing the writer to speak.

"I'm not a horse..." Gilbert whispered in a hurt manner.

The from the point that the forest ended, Bryce moved silently to hold the path behind the cultist group. Suddenly appearing out of the middle of the forest, Merlin showed up right in front of them.

The group would be the exact same as the group of cultists they had first met if not for one person and those that didn't survive the first encounter. The leader with the creepy dark eyes, William, was standing in front of the dark haired ranger. Right beside him was Ruby, the red headed, cruel right hand of the cultist leader. Among the other followers was Cleo, the thin moustached man who was standing behind with a short, disturbingly familiar kid with a ginger hair.

"Clyde!?" Bryce momentarily forgot about the pincer movement, his concealment and everything else. The cultist group, in its entirety, turned towards the startled long haired ranger, not even seeing Merlin right in front of them.

"Seriously, Bry..." Silently jumping off his horse, Merlin wrapped his cloak around and disappeared from plain sight. Gilbert didn't move a muscle and laid low on the sturdy ranger horse.

"Oh, if it isn't our friend from before." William spoke with a condescending tone. "Are you finally submitting to Hyrd'mis?"

"Clyde, it's me, Bryce!" The tall ranger looked like he was in trance, ignoring the smirking cult leader.

"Kid, why don't you greet our ranger friend?" Cleo asked impishly.

"Ranger... The enemy!" The boy's eyes behind the crimson goggles was brimming with rage. "Stay away from me!" He quickly shot an arrow from his recurve bow. Bryce could have dodged the arrow effortlessly, but in the devastated state he is, he barely avoided it.

"What did you do to him, is this what you did to that bard as well!? Answer me!" Bryce could barely control his feelings. Watching from behind, Merlin's face wrinkled at the sight of the scene unfolding in front of his eyes.

"Don't slip up, Bry. Come on..."

The long haired ranger didn't waste time in raising his own bow and shot at the group of cultists. Almost the speed of a lightning bolt, his arrow skewed through a cultist before he could react.

"What's the matter, have you ran out of smokescreen?" Bryce taunted William.

"Oh, I'm afraid we don't need that." William said threateningly. "Clyde, from now on, if that ranger harms us, kill yourself."

"I'll sacrifice myself for Hyrd'mis... He gave me eternal joy..." Clyde took out his saxe knife and pushed it close to his neck.

"No, Clyde! Don't!.." Bryce froze in place and started breathing heavily.

"Well, that was easy. Let's just get rid of him." Said Ruby, holding a red bottle in her hands.

"The last thing you see will be the crimson mist of Hyrd'mis!" She threw a bottle of the fearsome liquid high. As the bottle flew, it suddenly shattered while up in the sky, dissolving into the air dealing no damage. Suddenly, right behind them, another ranger with dark hair and flashing blue eyes appeared, holding a longbow in his hands. Suddenly, the cultists changed targets to the Merlin who prevented their plans from out of the blue.

"Oh, a pincer movement? I'm sorry to say that it won't work. One of you has his hands tied, after all." Uttered the red haired cultist, while unsheathing a large dagger and charging at Merlin.

Suddenly, just for a moment, the eyes of Merlin and Bryce met. From the years of training and time they spent together, the glint in Merlin's eyes disclosed his plan to his old friend. Deflecting Ruby's swings with his own saxe knife, Merlin threw his bow aside and once again braced for the horde approaching him.

"Well, that guy is next to useless anyway, so won't make much of a difference." He swung his knife to a new cultist that charged at him and quickly switched hands in the middle of his next swing to throw him off, slicing open a large wound in their belly. Then he grabbed his throwing knife for a surprise shot at Ruby, but the woman sensed the knife, shielding herself behind the group of cultists. William stood back and enjoyed the fight from afar as he had already moved away from the conflict. Cleo forced Clyde to move towards the horde, and as nobody was looking, Bryce grabbed a familiar metal weapon and a piece of rope from the pack on Pfeil beside him.

"I think it is about time we finish this. Kid!" Cleo signaled at the ginger headed boy to attack.

"I couldn't have agreed more!" Merlin also gave a signal to his friend.

Suddenly, the boy in crimson robes suddenly slipped and fell on the ground. His feet were bound by two strikers connected with a rope, thrown by his mentor far before he could even notice.

"What is the meaning of thi-" Cleo's face suddenly changed as he saw the tall ranger on his horse, rushing to grab his young apprentice trying to get up. Before he could react, a high pitched whistle was heard from Merlin, who called for his own horse and once again caught everyone's attention. Ace came rushing with Gilbert still riding on him, and the moment they arrived, the entire field became shroud in smoke.

"What the... What is going on?" Ruby yelled in frustration. Little did she know, the rangers had already left the scene and were running towards Redwood.

"Good smokescreen, writer." Merlin uttered rare words of praise.

"I should be applauding for you two! Did you really plan that trick out?" Gilbert replied, amazed.

"Well, it kinda happened on the spot. Bry could try to be more competent though." He gave a teasing look at the shaggy bearded ranger, who was tearful to be reunited with his apprentice.

"I guess... I didn't think it would get into me that much." He replied.

"Pssh. You're just getting softer, if that is possible." Merlin chuckled. Clyde was more silent than ever, and just looked into the distance in a creepy manner.

After the night came along, The group had to set up the camp for rest.

"I'll tell the horsemaster to send Gale over. He probably missed the mute guy too." Merlin said in a monotone voice while preparing the paulin and the blankets.

"Don't bother. He won't make it in time, we risk moving from one place to another. We could share Pfeil for now." Bryce objected.

"That makes sense... Where's Clyde?" Asked Merlin.

"Wasn't he with you?" Asked back Bryce.

"I thought he was wi- Oh, come on..." As soon as Merlin finished his words, The ginger headed apprentice appeared in front of them with a knife in his hands.

"I'll kill the enemies of Hyrd'mis!"

"Clyde, it's me, Bryce! Snap out of it." The concerned mentor tried to help his apprentice to no avail.

"Bry, you can't talk your way into hypnotism. You're being soft as usual. And to think you said you have more experience..." Merlin quickly approached and disarmed Clyde with expertise.

"Y-you, stay away from me!"

"Stay still and shut up!" Merlin tried to lift the goggles off his face, but it was stuck tightly. Losing his composure, he had to take a step back.

"Darn it... They thought of everything. I bet if I..." He paused for a moment. "Clyde, I'm cutting your goggles."

"I won't allow you! I-I'd rather kill myself!"

"Yup. No choice. We have to get his guard down somehow." Merlin went deep in thought, but then he realized Bryce wasn't listening that well.

"Clyde, don't you remember me?" He asked desperately.

"Hmm... Ah!" The ginger headed boy lighted up for a second.

"You're another enemy. A different one... A useless one." He said as if he was a mannequin.

"Use...less?" Bryce felt something break in his heart.

"Don't you see how clear I speak now? Hyrd'mis gave me that confidence, not you. All you've tried was for nothing." He said cruelly.

"B-but..." Bryce started shaking.

"I don't need help as long as I have Hyrd'mis. He is strong, beautiful, helpful... He loves me more than anyo-"

"There's no Hyrd'mis! You're just escaping from your problems!" The tall ranger rose up.

"Really? I guess you do that a lot as well. Since when did you bring up your past?"

"I... was going to tell you."

"So was I, but see how things are now."

Bryce stood in silence for a few minutes. Merlin was equally speechless, and for those long, dreadful few minutes, all that one could hear was the noises of Gilbert making soup, away from the trouble. Bryce finally decided to play his last card.

"Clyde, back then, you said I needed this more than you did." He reached to his pocket and took out a dried white lily, a memento from his late wife and daughter. "You were mistaken, and so was I. So please take this, and remember us..."

Clyde took the lily from the mentor's hands, and promptly crushed the delicate flower into pieces.

"What does that piece of trash prove, anyway? You're just holding onto old memories." Clyde could barely finish his words before he realized Bryce looked at him in such a way that he wanted to hate him, but couldn't. What was it that made him this likeable to this old man? Clyde thought. Anyway, it wasn't needed. All he needed was Hyrd'mis. He wouldn't harm him. He wouldn't trick him.

"I still can't believe..." Bryce couldn't even finish his words as he was drinking his soup.

"Bry, it's not Clyde speaking, you know that." Merlin tried to comfort his friend.

"But what if he is? What if he just hated me from the beginning?" Bryce tilted his head forward.

"Is Clyde really that sort of..." Before the dark haired ranger could finish his words, Bryce had already left. Looking at him wrapping a blanket around to sleep, he sighed deeply.

"So, do you guys really talk with your horses?" Gilbert suddenly asked.

"Shut up." Merlin took his frustration out from the writer without noticing.

"I was just trying to lighten the mood." The guy in lavender clothes said innocently.

"There is no mood to lighten. Go watch Clyde as I get some sleep." Merlin went to bed as well, leaving the stranger with the apprentice in trance.


	20. Chapter 20: Facing The Past

After a long and tedious journey, the town of Redwood was finally caught in sight by the group of rangers.

"We're here? About time..." Gilbert yawned, just woken up.

"You just leaned on my back and slept..." Merlin replied curtly.

Bryce looked at the horizon silently. He hardly had any sleep yesterday, and now the face of the tired ranger was looking horrible from the bags under his eyes and his wrinkles showing.

Clyde also kept silent. Nobody knew what he had on mind, but if yesterday's events were any hint, the young apprentice was not in his best form. His calm and kind nature long erased from his face, he didn't act any different than a wild animal. Having seen the status of his relationship with the child looking grim, Bryce felt even worse.

Approaching Redwood, the group first entered through the gate. Being a small town, the gate system of Redwood was not as good as a Fief, being constructed of wooden spikes and protected by two guards in front of it.

Once inside, the first thing to look for was an inn and some rooms to use. Gilbert went ahead to handle that job, leaving the rangers to look for any cult activity.

"Have you checked Clyde?" Asked Merlin monotonously. The boy had his wrists tied up so that he wouldn't try to harm anyone, especially himself.

"I have..." Bryce didn't look at Merlin as he answered in an aloof manner.

"Fine..." The atmosphere was getting unusually strange, even for the dark haired ranger. "You think they really are hiding here?" He tried to change the subject.

"I don't know."

Just when Merlin tried to progress the conversation, Gilbert came back from the inn and walked over to the rangers upon seeing them.

"The horses are still there. Didn't you take them to the stable? You guys are so slow... Talk about a ranger."

"Gilbert, would you kindly stay silent?" Merlin asked with an exhausted voice. "You're trying my patience and I don't like it."

Merlin went to take the horses as Bryce decided to go to the inn to look for some information.

"Look after Clyde." He left the writer with the silent apprentice. Clyde was looking down on the ground and ominously mumbling about Hyrd'mis.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Inside the inn was nothing like Norgate's silent, cold and lonely spot. Redwood's warmer weather and carefree people made the inn look much more inviting. The door with a bell hung over it opened into a large room with lots of chairs and tables scattered about and the tall ranger stepped into a wave of moisture and heat as he pushed the door open, making the small bell ring as the unimaginable cacophony of noise coming from the nearby tables swallowed the sound of it.

The cultist group had already started to infiltrate the town by the looks of it, and Bryce didn't spend a long time looking for the red robes among the waves of townspeople.

"They could have picked a less noticable color." The ranger mumbled to himself as he moved around while secretly eyeing the group of cultists. In this crowd and among the different, red colored wood of the inn's walls, using his green camouflaged cloak would be of no use, so his next safe bet was to act natural and hope to mix into the background this way.

Slowly approaching the group, he focused on their conversation. Their appearance and weird movements suggested most, if not all of them, were drunk from drinking too much beer, despite the beer looking obviously watered down. Whether it was because they couldn't afford a full cup or because the innkeeper was a cheap skate, Bryce couldn't decide.

"Pah! I'm sick of this wheat juice. Not even a bit of beer mixed in." One of them groaned.

"It's okay. I'm used to... diluted beer, anyway..." Said another, caught in a storm of hiccups.

"Hehe... Once William seizes a town or two, we'll all be rich."

"Cheers for William!"

The cultists raised their diluted beers and kept drinking.

"Ergh... Everything's fuzzy... Hot..." The cultist that spoke first threw his thin robe away. The crimson coloured cloth landed on the dusty floor.

This is my chance, thought Bryce. He swiftly took his cloak off and dusted it a little. It was a little small for him, but he managed to wear the uncomfortable red outfit. Wincing at the smell of poorly made beer coming from the cloth, he slowly sat on a chair he pulled near to the table.

"Finally made it. This place is brimming with drunkards." Bryce tried to speak with a harsher tone.

The man that had just raised his beer squinted as his eyes fixed on the crimson colored stranger.

"Richard, is that you?"

"Yeah. What's the matter, can't see?"

"Nothing, nothing." They had no suspicion, and soon the carefree attitude of the cultists continued on. As he listened to them and waited for an opening, The tall ranger just remembered that these were also people that were taken advantage of by William. Given the promise of wealth, many people, with good or bad intentions, had joined the hordes of men and women that formed the expendable part of the cultist group, unlike those who had been kidnapped and hypnotised.

"Weird thing, those crystals, huh?" Bryce asked with a curious tone.

"Yeah, yeah. So creepy, rite?" The speech of the cultists were starting to break apart. "I've herd about that kid. Didja see dat?"

"No. What did you d-" Bryce was about to rise, but managed to maintain control. "What happened to him?"

"The poor brat got tested with that goggle thingamajic." They kept telling as the beer on the table was nearly finished. "William says he'll never recover. Like dose slaves in Morocco." The cultist was talking about the warmweed addiction that were commonplace in slaves. Bryce felt himself shaking in frustration. In his most vulnerable moment, he couldn't even manage to protect his apprentice, just like he couldn't save his wife or his daughter. Did he lose the child forever? All he wanted was to see him smile geniunely and enjoy himself, but now it was impossible? He couldn't handle himself for too long. The chains of despair had already started to crawl towards him.

"N-no way, I bet there is a way." He tried to deny it. After all, these men were all drunk.

"Nah, I've heard it right from the man himself, the goggles won't come off."

"And why is that?"

"He'll die of a heart attack if it does, tha's why."

Bryce's breaths turned into little whistles from the amount of pain he felt. The hot inn, all this pressure, the uncomfortable robes, this disgusting feeling that made him hate himself... He wanted to do away with them. All of them. Just for a moment, he wanted to forget.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Merlin had returned from the stable and looked around as he noticed something amiss. The clouds covering the meek sunlight of the evening, everything was shroud in a darker shade. But even in that dark shade, chunks of red were visible all around the town.

"Darn... Those red turnips really mean it, huh..." The dark haired ranger focused his deep blue eyes onto them as he walked towards where he left Gilbert and Clyde. After walking for a while, he noticed that something else was missing, and that something was Gilbert and Clyde both.

"Seriously... I trust you one bit, then this happens!" He furiously dashed around the town to find Gilbert and hopefully, Clyde. The first thing that came to mind was that the tetchy writer was actually working for the cult, but it was a conclusion that Merlin jumped into without thought. Turning around a few streets, he finally found the writer in lavender coloured clothes hiding behind a house with some paper in his hands, watching the cultists' preaching on the street the house was next to.

"Just what do you think you're doing!?" The dark haired ranger appeared suddenly and startled the writer.

"Augh! Ah, it's you." Gilbert calmed down slightly. "I was enlarging my report on the cultists, of course!" He smiled, but was answered with having his collar lifted up by the furious ranger.

"Where the hell did you take Clyde!?" He shook him to intimidate him further.

"Wh-wha!? Him? I told him to stay there. Don't they listen to orders?" Gilbert looked panicked. Merlin let out a big sigh.

"I just really wish you were a traitor, so I could cut you down without Bryce telling me off for an hour." He looked directly into the eyes of the writer. "Clyde listens to cultists, not us. He likely ran away and it is all your fault."

"Oh, really?" He looked really ashamed for a moment. "That won't do, I guess. Despite everything, you guys helped me out a lot so I'll do the same for you."

"I don't need your help, you imbecile! Don't you dare act buddy buddy to me!" Merlin suddenly grabbed the young man and dragged him as he walked away from the streets and towards the stable, pushing Gilbert forward. He binded the writer by his hands and ankles and shoved him next to the ranger horses.

"If you had stood still, I wouldn't even bother with this." He left to meet with Bryce in the inn.

Looking at him as he ran back towards the town, Gilbert sighed.

"Well, I guess I'll write a report on rangers instead... In my mind." He heard Ace and Pfeil stomp their hooves to the ground.

"What? Is that also a crime? Look at me, talking to horses..."

Eyeing the front of the inn, Merlin saw a large red figure struggling to stand on two feet, wavering and tripping along the way.

"You really didn't..." Merlin felt even more frustrated as he saw the long haired ranger in this pitiful state. But he felt something else, some feeling that he refused to name. He couldn't find it in his pride to accept that.

He quickly sled under the arm of his old friend and helped him walk straight. Walking with him as they make their way to the outskirts of the town, Bryce finally noticed Merlin with his fuzzy mind.

"Merlin... It's you.." He struggled to not vomit as he felt a surge of disgust. His mind was foggy and he felt so thirsty. There was a bad taste in his mouth.

"Of course it's me, idiot. Why did you make yourself drunk... We need to keep our minds sharp! And you don't even drink!" He looked at Bryce furiously.

"Ahh... I didn't want to at first, but I was at the same table as the cultists..."

"Spare me the lies. You reek like age old wine. Probably drunk a glass and couldn't even stand it." Merlin said as he sat on the fresh grass and helped his friend lay on the ground. "I get it. You want to forget."

"It was foolish. I just... can't hold anything together anymore." The long haired ranger laughed hysterically as he cried a few tears.

"It was foolish, but..." Merlin looked really bothered for a second. "But..."

"Look, I'm sorry, okay!?" He finally let out the words he had been waiting to say.

"This whole time, dealing with stuff like this should have been hard. I know I said that I have been born into this, but..." He took a deep breath and looked at the worn out face of his old friend.

"You became a ranger, but also the kind of person that makes others relieved, you know... Whenever you sensed I was tense, you'd be there for me. Nobody else would notice." Bryce turned his face to him in surprise as Merlin kept talking.

"When you're like this, I want to help too. I want to help in return, but just like when Cecile and Mary got killed in that ambush, I mean, what's left of your family just went away and I couldn't even say anything... I'm not like you, Bryce. I don't know how to help. I just don't..." Merlin couldn't continue his words. He hung his face and turned away from Bryce.

"Merlin, are you crying?" The long haired ranger asked. This being the most emotional his friend had been since the last few years, he started to come into his senses, startled.

"I'm not crying. I just don't want to look at you."

Bryce got up and limped over to his friend and lifted his arm that he pushed onto his eyes. There was a single tear on his small face.

"See? You're crying."

"N-no, I'm not!" Merlin turned away from him once again.

"Okay, suit yourself." Bryce gave him a small smile.

"It's okay, Merlin. It's nice to know you are with me, too." The long haired ranger looked up into the sky. The clouds were dispersed and the starry sky was in their full view.

"You know, that Cecile... She was so alluring in her looks, but more so in her personality. You know when I told you I gave up on being a knight? I did it for her, so that she could live in her own country."

"What's this about?" Merlin turned to him again with a curious look.

"I was so lost without a purpose, but in time, protecting her and her town became my purpose. That's how I ended up being a ranger. To protect."

"Yeah, you kinda have a knack for that." Merlin chuckled.

"But you... When we met, I was sure you would surpass my bow skills in no time. Whenever it came to anything but experience, you always beat me, even with the seven year difference between us." Bryce smiled. "I admit it. I relied on you a lot."

"No, I relied on you a lot." Merlin argued. "You kept making everyone feel better with your... Bubbly nature... Or something." Bryce laughed loudly as he heard Merlin stutter.

"Well, I guess we just need to rely on each other now." Two old friends shook hands and looked into each other's eyes with determination.

"You won't run away." Said Merlin convincingly.

"Even if I tried to, you just keep finding me." Bryce smiled once again. "I made a mistake. But I won't falter, for Clyde's sake and my own."

"Shoot! How could I..." Merlin slapped his hand on his forehead.

"What's the matter?"

"Clyde's missing. Come on."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Under the light of the moon that shone on the branches of the tall trees of Redwood's forest, Bryce and Merlin kept searching for the ginger headed boy. As it got darker and darker inside the forest, Bryce felt uneasy.

"Are we sure he is in the forest?" He asked in a concerned way.

"He isn't around the town, he has to be here." Merlin answered in a less panicked tone.

Suddenly, the path they had taken lead them to a large, moist tree trunk filled with beige mushrooms inside, with more mushrooms scattered along the way.

"I think he went that way." Bryce approached the path with mushrooms.

"Isn't that a little on the nose?" Merlin asked, slightly annoyed.

As they went through, the surroundings got even darker until the gleam of the silver moon above them was merely a small sparkle in the sky, drowned by the sea of branches covering it.

"Clyde!" Bryce yelled into the space.

"Hush! What if there are cultist along the way?" Merlin told his friend off.

"Good. We have a bone to pick with them, too."

"Fine, but I won't save you from that mist thing one more time, just so you know."

As they were talking, Bryce heard a sudden rustling in the nearby bushes. Moving slowly, he approached the bush and swept its red leaves away.

"G-gah!" What laid under the red leaves was the boy in crimson clothes.

"Clyde! There you are." Bryce watched as he got out of the bushes, then signaled him to follow, but the boy wouldn't budge, even after they walked a few meters away from him. The ginger headed apprentice slowly pulled out a bow from the bush and loaded it with a sharp arrow.

"What the- I thought-" Merlin went in shock due to the unexpected movement.

"Apparently, we didn't think he'd take our weapons while we took his." Bryce said in a melancholic tone. The dark coloured bow in the boy's hands was definitely Merlin's.

"Enemies of Hyrd'mis... Die..." Clyde pulled the string of the longbow and aimed for the long haired ranger.

"Clyde... Don't you remember me?" Bryce asked, his heart beating as if it was about to burst out of his chest.

"You're... A ranger... Enemy..."

"Clyde, I'm not your enemy, I'm your mentor." The tall ranger slowly approached his apprentice.

"Bryce, it won't work!" Merlin signaled his friend to avoid the boy.

"It will work this time... I'm sure of myself now, thanks to you." Bryce smiled as he kept approaching.

"Stop!.. Don't take one more step!" Clyde's hands shook as he raised the bow.

"I won't hurt you. I'm a friend, aren't I?"

"N-no, lies! Just like him, you just pretend like you won't hurt me... I won't fall for it!" The boy's hands were shaking even more.

"Okay, if you don't trust me..." Bryce took his knife belt and his longbow and threw them aside. He turned his head to look at Merlin.

"You're actually doing this... Fine." The dark haired ranger nodded.

Bryce kept taking small steps forward. With each of his steps, he saw the old Clyde that he got so used to, the pure hearted child that tried not to show his wounds to anyone, in the shaking arms of the boy in crimson.

"Lies... It will be the same once again, everyone I love dies and nobody cares about me... Hyrd'mis loves me and gives me happiness... Don't separate me with him!" The goggles of the boy sparkled with a bright red light as the few rays of moonlight shone on the crystal lens.

"Clyde, return to your senses! There is no Hyrd'mis, there isn't..."

"B-but he has to... Who will care for me then? Not any of you!.." The boy's face went blue and took a frightened look.

"Of course it will be us. Don't you recall my face? All the time we ate breakfast together, when you scored a bullseye on that tree bark, when you met Gale..." Bryce smiled warmly. There was barely three meters between them.

"Bryce?.. N-no, I have to forget!.." Clyde shook his head. He had lost his focus.

"Why? Why forget all the time we spent together? Weren't you happy? Wasn't it fun?"

"It was... Fun... But I lied. You'll find that out... Then you'll hate me, j-just like everyone else..." Clyde started to break down. The shaggy bearded ranger gently embraced the ginger headed apprentice as he reacted mildly.

"You really think that matters? You didn't even speak to me about anything. Why did you assume I would be mad?"

"B-but I tricked you... I'm a bad person, selfish, useless..." Small tears trickled from the pale, freckled face of the boy. He held onto the green cloak of his mentor and hugged him back, burying his tears onto the cloth of the cloak.

"Shh, don't say that, you're not a bad person at all. And you are quite capable as well. At least allow your mentor to deduce that from one year." Bryce ran his hand down the curly hair of his apprentice and continued to speak to him until he finally calmed down.

"Are you better now?" He said as his apprentice let go of him.

"Huh...Hyrd'mis..."

"Is not real, right?"

"Is not... real. It isn't." Clyde opened and closed his eyes a few times, confused by the effects of the hypnotic goggles.

Suddenly, the goggles fell off and hit the ground, to the young apprentice and his mentor's surprise.

"Clyde!" Bryce yelled in panic.

"H-huh? Bryce? What's going on?" Clyde looked around in geniune confusion.

Lifting the goggles off the ground, Merlin removed his cloak and appeared right in front of them.

"I knew it was a bluff. You're too soft, Bry." He smiled slightly.

"Merlin, you're here too!" Clyde ran to the short ranger and tackled him cheerfully.

"Whoa! Who are you and what did you do to Clyde?" Merlin shook the kid off of him.

"I was so scared I'd never... Get to see everybody..." Depleting all of his excitement, Clyde started to breathe heavily.

"Hey, do you recall anything from the time..." Bryce started his question before Clyde answered in advance.

"Bits... and pieces... But there's something more important..." He looked down at his feet.

"Hm? What's that?" The mentor asked curiously.

"I want to tell everything. About me... I was scared but... It's you, so... I won't be scared anymore."

"I will tell everything too. It's not like I have the mildest story." The long haired ranger smiled. "You're so strong, son. I'm so proud of you." He pat the hair of the short apprentice.

"Son?.." Clyde tilted his head sideways.

"Oh, sorry, did that bother you?" Bryce asked, concerned.

"It didn't! Heehee, son..." Clyde giggled.

"Hey, I don't want to cut your dramatic reunion stuff, but... I kinda left Gilbert all tied up in the stable, so we better pick him up." Merlin chimed in.

"Oh, alright." Bryce replied.

"Wait, you what!?"


	21. Chapter 21: What I Went Through

In the snowy weather of his hometown, Clyde didn't have much to do outside besides from picking herbs. The gray skies over the worn down manor was gloomy as usual, and the freezing weather that only got warm and better in summer was inviting itself inside from the never repaired window of his uncle's room.

"Uncle?" The ginger headed kid gently shook the old man that was breathing silently. Suddenly, the warm stare coming from the blue eyes of the elder calmed the kid who thought he had succumbed to the cold.

"Yes, Clyde?"

"Ah, nothing. Do you want more blankets?" Clyde tried to hide his actual reason for talking, but his uncle's eyes didn't miss his unusual way of speaking.

"We can talk about it if it is bothering you." The man slowly raised and took a sitting position on the bed, inviting his nephew to sit next to him.

"N-no, you need to rest..." He tried to refuse.

"I say this old man has rested for enough time!" His uncle laughed with an enthusiastic voice. Clyde decided to sit next to him.

"It's about dad..." The blue eyes of the kid got slightly moist as he spoke.

"I had guessed as much." The old man's face showed a pained expression. "Is that bruise on your arm from him?" He pointed to the arm of the child.

"Yes... I-I'm sure he had a reason to be mad at me... I couldn't collect enough money for you again." He looked at the ground.

"No way, he shouldn't have hit you in the first place! I'm fine without the medicine, boy. You need to buy yourself some clothes." The old man replied, but soon got caught to a coughing fit, prompting his nephew to run downstairs to get him a glass of water.

"You need medicine..." The kid turned his face away.

"I don't, I don't! I'm still as strong as a bull." The man laid back down as the freckled boy approached him.

"I still feel horrible, but I'm not sick at all..." He felt tired.

"Well, physical health is not the only one that is important, my boy."

"Yeah, mental health is important too, but is it just bad to notice things?" Clyde asked in a suspiciously frustrated tone. "I-I think dad hates me because of mom." Clyde started to break down.

"No way, he loves both of us, I'm sure. It's not your fault your mother didn't..." He waited for a few seconds, realizing just then that he could have used better wording.

"She died when I was born... You know... I don't blame father if he does hate me." Clyde kept leaking silent tears.

"Clyde, please don't say you will apologise for being born..." the old man looked really concerned.

"I... I'm better when I'm with you, uncle." Clyde changed the topic and tried to invoke some sort of small talk to lift the spirits of both his Uncle and himself.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"That's... I don't know what to say, Clyde. I didn't think you had endured this much." Bryce voiced his concern after hearing Clyde's story as they were walking towards the stable.

"So you were orphaned on top of these harsh stuff... That's..." Merlin couldn't complete his sentence.

"I... That's not the whole thing..." Clyde went on.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Shortly after his uncle's eventual death, the gloomy weather snowed despair over the manor that the kid stood in. Every glance at the empty room was a sharp stab in the heart. His father being even more violent than usual and having nobody else to talk to, Clyde started to feel the pressure and all of his unwanted feelings slowly being bottled up inside. He wanted to try and support his father, so he kept collecting herbs and mushrooms just like his uncle taught him to. His new medicines were selling more than usual, but it was still a few pieces of money in the end. It surely wasn't enough to satisfy his father. The man who once worked very hard for his brother's health, and had even forced his own son to work at early age, was now slowly distancing himself from everything. The manor was even more gloomy inside ever since, and Clyde soon lost the purpose of talking. He was not happy in these conditions, and he felt so pressured under everything, that he had finally discovered a new emotion: Hate.

He hated his father and his actions, his now pointless chase of wealth, his broom, the broken window in the familiar room, the cold breeze freezing him by leaking inside, and even himself... He started to feel a growing sense of hate for each of these things. Until one day...

His father's room was silent. Thinking that he finally decided to fall asleep, Clyde slowly stepped down the creaky stairs and wrapped his torn cape around him. He had nothing to take from the manor. He didn't belong in here anymore. If he wanted to live, he wanted to do it in a place that would make him happy... Even if it meant leaving his father alone in the manor. He felt selfish and horrible, but he hated in here, so why did he have to stay? He had tried to be kind to everyone in there, and for what? Once his uncle was gone, it changed nothing.

Feelings compelling him, Clyde took one last look at the worn out manor right behind him, and started to run on the scattered snow that was already treaded on by travellers. The town should be near, thought Clyde. He wanted to see the town one last time, as well.

The snowy weather had painted the town white, as well. Houses made from oak and stone was scattered around the place, only loosely connected by the cobblestone path that was placed on the surrounding terrain. It was in the middle of the night, so nowhere was offering any kind of service. Even the inn was silent. Looking at the old inn, Clyde remembered a small memory from when he was a small child, when his uncle was still healthy and would take him and his father to the inn to play instruments and sing. Clyde always loved those songs. But now, even that made him feel hollow inside. Taking his final stroll through the town, Clyde started mumbling a melody of his own.

Empty streets, empty streets

No one is home

Empty streets, empty streets

There is no hope

I have given up from wanting anybody's touch

Even around all this people, it's alone, it's miserable

Empty streets, empty streets

Even when it's full

Empty streets, empty streets

Lonely, beautiful

I have given up from wanting anybody's love

Even if I'm among people, I'm alone and so are they

Nobody notices they're on their own

Taking his last step, Clyde didn't look back. He went inside the dark, shadowy forest and decided to go wherever the forest takes him. Surely, it'd be a better place than here... Thought the child as he disappeared into the green.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"So, what you're saying is..." Bryce was startled. Several drops of tears were flowing from his eyes from listening to his apprentice's story.

"That was... That was the lie." Clyde looked down at his feet once more. "I'm not an orphan... I never was."

"But why did you lie?" Bryce asked curiously.

"W-wouldn't you take me back to my father if I didn't?" Clyde replied.

"I see..." Bryce tilted his head forward.

"I'm sorry, Bryce... I don't deserve to be... your apprentice." Clyde started breathing heavily.

"What are you saying? It's not like you ran away on a whim." Bryce objected. "Besides, we've already started our training. You aren't getting rid of us that easily." He smiled gently.

"B-bryce..." Clyde couldn't hold his tears in once more.

"Are you guys going to cry for the next weekend? It's getting really boring." Merlin teased the duo.

"Well, my apologies, Mr.I-Tied-Up-A-Writer-Because-He-Was-Writing. We'll cry less from now on." Bryce replied with lightning speed.

"Ugh, don't make me recall that... We just need to free him, then it's time to get the turnips. So you lot better hurry up!" Merlin started to walk faster. Bryce and Clyde followed after and the trio reached the stable after a few more minutes.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"I was starting to think you' never come back!" Gilbert uttered tearfully as Bryce removed the ties on his wrists and ankles.

"That was the plan, but Bryce here couldn't bear to do it." Merlin said in his usual sarcastic tone.

"Gale... Where did Gale go?" Clyde looked around the stable desperately.

"He is fine. We just sent him back." The dark haired ranger answered.

"Don't you worry Clyde, everyone here is just fine." Bryce told his apprentice. "Well, except there's the fact that..." as his mentor said these words, Clyde looked at the new, smoky cream colored horse Bryce turned his face to. His mentor looked rather troubled for a short moment.

"Feder decided to retire after taking an acidic mist to protect me." He shortly explained. Clyde nodded as he knew the rare acid could easily harm an old horse to that extent.

"Well, to look at the brighter side, everyone else is safe, including this fellow." He pointed at Gilbert, who was still struggling to get up.

"We took good care of him!" Pfeil chimed in excitedly.

"Yes, I can see that." Bryce replied as he helped the writer up.

Ace kept silent, only showing affection to his master who was busy grooming him.

"So, what happened and what's the plan?" Gilbert looked at the rangers expectantly.

"Uh... Who is this guy?" Clyde asked to his mentor in confusion.

"Oh, this is going to be one big story. Come along, let's go to the inn." Bryce smiled at his apprentice as he finished taking care of his horse as well.

"Okay, that's enough. Aren't we getting off track with all this talking and having fun?" Merlin asked rather furiously.

"Not at all!" Bryce reacted very calmly. "I thought that we could share whatever information we have, as well. Clyde and us have the two halves of the same story, after all."

Seemingly convinced, Merlin made no sound. The group slowly proceeded to the inn.

"So, do you know anything about the cultists, Clyde?" Bryce said as he sipped his coffee gently. He was making sure he made no additional noise in the already noisy inn to listen to his apprentice's words.

"No, I mean... I do recall some things, but..." The ginger headed boy said, flustered.

"I see. It's fine, we can figure their plan out in other ways." Bryce replied.

"N-no, wait... I remember something." Clyde suddenly jumped.

"Let's hope it's important." Merlin leaned onto the table and looked at the blue eyes of the apprentice.

"I'm listening!" Gilbert said excitedly. Though nobody said anything about it, he felt like he was part of the group now.

"When I was... In that state, I think I recall something... About... an invasion, maybe?" Clyde forced his mind while speaking.

"Yes, that's exactly what we should be worried about." Bryce replied with a serious tone.

"I don't recall... where it would happen. Sorry..." Clyde hung his head down.

"So, that confirms that they are planning for a take over. I doubt we have much time left." Merlin said quickly.

"But, where will we find them?" Gilbert asked. He was pulling at his lavender clothes nervously. Despite being interested in the cult, he was also afraid.

"We need to pull ourselves closer." Suggested Bryce.

"And how? They know that ginger boy over there, so it would be hard to peek." The writer argued.

"You're a writer. Don't try to outsmart us." Merlin said in a condescending manner. "We will find a disguise..."

"...and they will lead us right into the heart of the conflict." Bryce completed the sentence of his friend.

"We need... Caution..." Clyde said anxiously.

"Does every one of them has those red gas, Clyde?" asked Bryce.

"No, only about... five people." The apprentice replied.

"Fine. We can do it." Said Merlin indifferently.

"Then we better fetch some red fabric." Bryce stood up, starting to walk towards the counter of the inn. A plan was about to come to fruition. On the other side, another plan that was far more scary was about to be realized as well. This attempt could very well be the last one for the rangers, but they had made their minds.


	22. Chapter 22: Battle of Green and Crimson

"Okay, how do I look?" Gilbert turned around in the crimson robe.

"Like a clown... Except they are more funny and less pathetic." Merlin answered with a clear annoyance that could easily be read from his expression.

"These are... Incredibly disturbing." Said Clyde as he looked at himself in the red robes that he was wearing a few hours ago in a completely different state.

"It's fine, we're all in this time so don't you worry, Clyde." Bryce tried to calm the atmosphere by speaking even softer than usual.

"I know... Thanks, everyone." The ginger headed apprentice smiled.

"Wait... Can someone tell me why are we taking the writer with us?" Merlin questioned.

"Well, we're kind of stuck with him, I guess." said Bryce. "Besides, he does know about the cult, so as long as he is quiet, it'll be okay." He continued.

"Yeah! I swear to keep my silence for exchange of all the knowledge I'll get to have!" The writer did an exaggerated salute.

"Good, good!" Merlin uttered with an obviously forced smile on his face. "Why don't you practice by shutting up for the rest of the day?"

As they walked towards the inn's entrance, several red figures started to come out of the steamy room, some drunk, some clearly not conscious, and the rest sober enough to take the lead.

"These must be the cultists they gathered from around towns." Bryce said as they approached the group slowly.

"They're not hypnotised... are they?" Asked Clyde.

"Of course they're not. What kind of hypnotism forces you to drink?" Merlin answered with a straight face.

As they followed the leading cultist, their path slowly exited the small town area and entered the reddish forest that soon covered the sky above them with a curtain of branches and leaves, taking away what was left of the moonlight, leaving behind a dark passage.

"I think we blended in!" Said Gilbert cheerfully. "I have so much to report, even now..."

"Shush!" Merlin silenced him as he focused on the group of cultists. The first few ones that lead the rest were apparently sober enough to know where their central camp was, so the rangers only needed to follow those few.

Even without the help of their horses, the distance to the central camp was closing in rather quickly as Clyde noticed more and more people dressed in red robes were walking around.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Finally, after a tedious walk to the heart of the dark forest, they had arrived to the hidden camp. Far more basic than the Genovesans' camp style, the tents were scattered about randomly regardless of rank. The area it took was large due to the equally large amount of recruits they had, but none of the observations ended up with spotting the cultist leader, William.

"Here we are. Now what?" Merlin whispered as they walked towards the middle point, scanning around as they go. There were mainly people running about doing unknown chores, carrying food and water, some carrying reddish mushrooms that Clyde thought was suspiciously similar to The Devil's Cap.

As they looked around, all of the cultists suddenly walked towards one spot, almost forming a stampede. In the sea of red, Clyde held tightly on his mentor as they got dragged into wherever the horde was leading them to. Merlin and Gilbert disappeared from view until the marching of the crimson robes ended somewhere near the camping spot, in a place that was empty except for a huge tree stump that stood above half the height of Merlin, along with a few orange and red coloured trees and bushes. The darkness of midnight made it impossible to detect the red color, so everything besides the sharp crimson colour of the cultists' robes was blackish.

"Bryce, what's happening?" Asked Clyde, feeling tense.

"Some sort of preaching, I'm sure. Keep your hearing sharp." The tall ranger said before fixing his stare on the large tree stump that was likely the stage of who gathered around all these people, the cultist leader William himself.

"Dear followers of Hyrd'mis, welcome, welcome!" A loud yet clear voice was heard near the stump. The dark eyed cultist leader raised his hands atop the tree and looked at the horde of cultists in front of him.

"It's him!" Shrieks were heard among the crowd. "All hail Hyrd'mis!"

"W-what's going on?" Clyde said, startled.

"All hail Hyrd'mis!" Bryce yelled with his loudest voice. "Just go along with them, will you?" He added in a contrasting whisper. Clyde nodded at his mentor and repeated the crowds with his quiet voice.

"It took a long time... It was hard to accomplish, yet thanks to your sheer belief on Hyrd'mis and all of your effort, we have achieved our first goal!" William waved his hands in the air as if to make his army of crimson energized by watching his quick movements. He was a master at manipulating people, and he knew that the more people he had in front of him, the easier it would be to control them.

The crowd went wild as the rangers and Gilbert cheered along reluctantly, but Merlin looked especially concerned.

"The first goal... What do you mean?" He wondered, thinking aloud. Gilbert looked at him nervously, without a word.

"What do I mean, you say? Why of course, I mean Redwood! It is under our complete control!" The old man had heard Merlin's voice among the crowd, surprising the dark haired ranger that thought his voice would get drowned out in the loud atmosphere.

"This is bad news... How could they even-" Bryce was about to say when William continued his speech.

"With the control of the town in our hands, as the only political figure they have has accepted Hyrd'mis, we can finally start our first movement to our actual target!"

"Redmont shall be ours! Hyrd'mis awaits!" The loud chanting filled the ears of the rangers. Gilbert was looking down at his feet. Bryce's face clearly started to become a light shade of blue.

"We... have to do something..." Clyde tugged at his mentor's robes and shook him awake.

"Clyde, listen." The long haired ranger took a deep breath. "If we don't end things now, it's over for us. The Genovesans and several other threats already exist, a third one that turns friend into foe is too much for Redmont."

Clyde nodded anxiously. Among the crowd, Merlin appeared, dragging Gilbert with him.

"What the hell... What do we do now?" He said.

"C-can't you guys fight? You're pretty good at it." The writer uttered, stuttering. The tension of the crowd was reaching its limit as the cultist leader ended his speech, causing them to scatter into smaller crowds by the second.

"I'm not fighting this many." Replied Merlin curtly.

"We need to take down the leader and his subordinates." Bryce said decisively.

"Won't they just continue the cult by making them into a martyr?" pointed out Merlin, who was annoyed at the difficult situation, tapping his foot on the forest soil without noticing.

"Yes, but most of these people are not actually loyal followers, are they? If it's a smaller crowd, it will be easier to handle. We need to avoid the bigger crisis now." The tall ranger ended the discussion.

"Fine, as long as we don't fight like half the country, that is." Merlin conceded defeat in his own way. He is growing up even now, thought Bryce as he could see the tetchy ranger arguing further without point whenever his friend made a sensible point.

The crowds were finally scattered to the point where it was possible to see without one's eyes being covered in red.

"Hey, you four. Why are you standing there?" Someone mildly familiar appeared in front of the group. The man had a slender moustache and a thin build. Merlin recognized the man as one of William's subordinates. Clyde quickly pulled at his robe's hood and covered his face upon his eyes nearly meeting the man. His mentor stood in front of him to hide him from sight even further as the man kept approaching them.

"Are you really Hyrd'mis' loyal soldiers? You look a bit too... Aware." said the man, Cleo, with a stare that was undoubtedly condescending.

"We are but servants of our Lord, sir." Bryce bowed in an emotionless manner. Behind him, Clyde felt anxious once more, seeing Cleo again.

"Really? Then..." His face presented a malicious smile. "Bow to me."

All of the group bowed to the slender man, as he watched in pleasure. Gilbert acted a bit slower, but Cleo didn't notice.

"I guess that was easy. Next, tell me the name of our Lord at once."

"Hyrd'mis!" They said in unison. Because Merlin messed up the pronunciation, Bryce yelled a bit louder to drown his voice out.

"Hmm..." He breathed calmly as he twisted his thin moustache with his fingers. "Finally... Kill yourselves."

All at once, Bryce and Merlin drew the saxe blades they had hidden in their robes and lifted it over their heads, ready to stab themselves in the gut. Clyde went blue and tried to do the same as well, but drew the heavy hilted throwing knife in confusion, nearly dropping it. Gilbert didn't have a knife, so he quickly thought of another way and acted as if he was about to strangle himself, wrapping his hands around his neck.

"Enough, stop!" Cleo said with no sign of terror on his face. "Hmph. They are puppets, after all. Good." He thought to himself aloud. "Follow me." He said, then casually walked towards a narrow path in the forest. The group followed right after.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

The path lead to an even narrower passage, where trees were standing so close to each other it was practically a wall made of hard wood. In the end of the road was a small clearing that had several hypnotised cultists, some with a crystal that was hanged over their necks like the bard, some with the same goggles as Clyde's. Added to the small group of cultists, they waited for Cleo to speak.

"William, Ruby! I've gathered them." He called the other two as they walked out of the dark passage as well, standing in front of the cultists as a trio.

"Is this all our jeweled and goggled members? It's rather small compared to how much we had to work for it." Ruby said, placing a hand on the left of her face. Her eyes shot out a cruel look.

"It's all jeweled members that can fight. I threw in a few more to fill in, too." Cleo answered indifferently.

"Are you sure this is all? We are going to corrode the whole wall with the crimson mist, so we need all we have." Asked William. Clyde almost let out a small shriek from hearing their plan.

A hole in Redmont's walls would make an unexpected attack, perhaps a pincer movement, by opening up a new spot to send armies in. Normally, such an attempt would be prevented easily, but the cloudy fluid made from Devil's Cap could quickly melt it down if used in huge amounts.

"I'm sure that this is all. We just need to give the order now. Someone needs to keep watch, too." Cleo answered once again.

"You do it. I'll make sure the others stay in place, and Ruby can handle the crimson mist stocks." William set the plan. Nobody resisted or disagreed with him, as they knew it was pointless.

The rangers and the writer looked at each other. All of them knew that this was an opportunity, yet none of them knew what to do at the moment.

As soon as the order to move was given, they marched along with the troop of jewelled men and women towards Redmont. The slender man was riding on an ebony horse, carrying a lance on the horse and a hilted sword on his belt. Despite his equipment, his clothing was only supported by a small chestplate made of padded leather and nothing else in regards of defense.

"Forward! Don't turn left until I give the signal."

Cleo commanding them and standing right by them, nobody could say anything about the situation, nor could they make a shared plan. Bryce knew inside that something was approaching. He didn't know what exactly, but he sensed a movement somewhere, and decided to trust his instincts. Looking right into Merlin's and Clyde's eyes, he hoped that they would understand.

"March! Now turn left!" As soon as Cleo's voice rung in his ears, Bryce swiftly moved out of the crowd and drew his saxe blade.

"I challenge you to a duel!"

A wave of silence hit everyone. Cleo didn't know how to react for a few seconds, until Bryce lifted his hood off.

"It can't be..." The slender man smiled in a crazy manner and let out a small laugh.

"Knight of The White Lily, Bryce himself? Inconceiveable!" He let out another exaggerated laugh.

"Yes, in the flesh." Bryce responded with a quiet voice.

"Bryce? Wh-what..." Clyde felt very confused, until he felt someone grabbing his arm.

"To that leader guy! Come on!" Merlin dragged him out of the scene and ran back towards the camp. Gilbert was left alone, and feeling lost, he watched them silently among the cultists.

"Cleo... The Shieldless Knight, I presume?" Bryce said calmly as he glared at the man atop the horse.

"It's me... I must say, all that knight business didn't really pay me well. I guess I just needed a better way of living." He said as if he was taunting the ranger in front of him.

"Better? I might have left knighthood as well, but I am clearly above thinking this miserable life is better than that!" The tall ranger yelled.

"You speak far too confident for a knight without horse." Said the Shieldless Knight, and he charged right at the ranger.

Swiftly dodging him, Bryce held his knife tightly. After drifting off into the distance from the sudden movement, the man atop the horse turned slowly to charge again, this time with a lance in his hand.

Suddenly, the ranger's ears caught a familiar whinny to the west. He turned his head around to see a smoky cream coloured horse running towards him.

"Pfeil!? How..." He knew that words were meaningless at the moment, so the ranger quickly hopped onto his horse and dodged the lance of Cleo at the last second. As the hand of the man was extended, Bryce threw his throwing knife to the man's hand, making him drop his lance in efforts to dodge the knife. Picking up the slightly heavy lance, he now had a new, yet familiar weapon in his hands.

"I knew you'd struggle, so I came as fast as I could!" Pfeil said excitedly as Bryce got ready for another attack from Cleo, this time with his sword. The man lifted the metal edge effortlessly and swung it around. The Shieldless Knight's fame was in attacking so swiftly with that single sword, that his opponents would be dead before they got to counter, but he was against a foe that was taught in two different ways of combat, thus he couldn't predict the equally swift movement of the ranger. Bryce used the saxe knife he grabbed with his left hand to parry the blow, but there was no room to use the pointy lance he held in his other hand. Pushing the slender man back with relative ease, the ranger drove his steed away to build speed, ready to use the pole weapon. However, before he could charge at Cleo, the man had tailed him with his horse, attacking from behind. Alerted by his senses, Bryce turned his back to parry another strike from a disadvantaged position.

"Ah, I forgot. How come you act so close to that ginger boy?" He asked maliciously.

"None of your business." Bryce tried to keep pushing the man away as their weapons locked into one another.

"I've spoken to him, you know. During his training, where we taught him about our Lord..." He put on a devilish smile.

"What did you do to him!?" The ranger yelled, suddenly overcome by emotion. The cultist had found the weakness that lied in the strong duelist in front of him.

"Nothing... Just something to remind him of his past, a beating or two?"

Bryce didn't respond as he vigorously pushed the man back with the sheer power of fury.

Watching him while making sure the brainwashed group didn't move, Gilbert felt anxious, as he noticed a pattern in the taunting of the cruel cultist.

"Hey! Don't give into him, he's trying to get to you!" He screamed at the ranger, hoping to be of some use as a non-combatant.

"Shut up!" The slender man yelled at the writer. "Followers of Hyrd'mis, lynch that man!" As soon as he finished his words, the small group of soldiers chased Gilbert as he ran towards Bryce in desperation.

"Ahh! Snap out of it! Help me!"

Bryce sighed as he rode Pfeil towards him. Gilbert quickly reached for the hand of the ranger and jumped on his mount. However, the combined weight of the two and Gilbert's position would make the fight much harder for the tired ranger. It needed to get a decisive end soon, or the crowd of jewelled people would either kill them or die trying, both being results that the ranger didn't even want to think about.

"Gilbert, stay low." Bryce said as he held onto his lance. It had to end as quick as possible.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

It had been a while since Merlin and Clyde separated from their teammates, and the duo had reached the small clearing at last. The grass on the soil wavered as the wind blew from the south. There was nobody in the clearing except for the red headed woman closing the entrance to the camp.

"Waiting for someone else? I'm afraid William has important business to attend to." The woman, Ruby, smiled sweetly with a contrary glare shooting out of her amber colored eyes. She also had a large leather bag hung over her shoulder, touching it with her hand periodically as she spoke.

"Quit the chat and move." Said Merlin curtly. He wanted to end things swiftly. Clyde said nothing and just glared at the woman.

"Move? I'm afraid I can't do that." Ruby answered and took a small bottle out of the bag. The bottle had the same cloudy crimson mixture in it, wafting around the air as she removed the cork on the top. "You will wait until William is done, or else, the crimson mist will consume all of us. All of it is in my bag." She giggled maliciously.

"You..." Merlin grinded his teeth, looking at the woman as if he was on a frenzy.

"It's getting itchy as it scatters in the sky... Isn't that wonderful? Your death is the last step for our success, and my victory!" She said as the mist flowed out of the glass bottle gradually. "Ah, little Clyde. How glad am I to see you?" She followed suddenly, the small apprentice finally catching her eye.

"What... You knew it was him?" Merlin was surprised.

"Of course! I knew all about it. Dear Cleo wanted to duel with the Knight of The White Lily, and I wanted him out of my sight... So that I could finally have William all to myself." Ruby said, her face changing into a softer one saying the last sentence.

"Heh, big deal." Merlin snickered. "We're one step ahead, anyway. If we just kill you..."

"Then I'll drop the bottle in my hand, and you will become molten meat in seconds." Ruby said, smiling sweetly. "At least, you two will be the fuel of our love... Do you believe in it?" She asked as if she was talking among friends.

"Ew, no thanks." Merlin said, making such a disgusted face one would have thought he had trash shoved on his face. "Look, if you're going to talk about love stories, you'd best make it quick and move out or die."

"Ah, my dear William..." Ruby started talking again, completely ignoring Merlin. She was in pleasure of buying their sweet time by force. "At first, it was just the two of us... The jewels, the hypnotism, everything... It was our own idea. Hyrd'mis in particular was a passion project for me. We made a concept that people couldn't help but bow in front of, and it made William so happy..." Her amber eyes looked like they had absorbed all the light in the spot. She was blushing, painting her face into a light pink color. "Don't you get it? This will be our happily ever after... And I'll do anything... anything for that happily ever after."

"This woman's out of her mind! Clyde, do something!" Merlin desperately said.

"Now that you've learned it all, it's time to die!" Her face suddenly turning into one that was akin to a fierce beast, Ruby threw the bottle and what remained in it to the rangers.

However, the ginger haired apprentice was ready this time. He threw another bottle with a white, cloudy fluid in it with such precision, the bottles crashed into each other mid-flight and their vapor condensed into white specks of crystallized dust.

"Wh-what? What did you do, you little-" The woman clad in red said before Clyde interrupted him.

"It's alchemy!" The boy unexpectedly ran up to the woman and tackled her, throwing off her balance. After steadying her steps, she touched the bag with her hand again, only to feel the empty leather bag in her palm as she saw Clyde run off with the crimson mist trapped in the bottles.

"Good job, freckles!" Merlin said in genuine joy. "You handle William!"

"What!?" Clyde turned to him in disbelief.

"Don't look, go!" Merlin yelled with such fury that Clyde couldn't help but run through the narrow tunnel of trees, avoiding the woman's grasp.

"Heh, so what? That little runt is nothing for my dear William to handle. Nothing!" She drew twin knives that was hidden in her robes.

"Then it is just you and me. I shall remove one more obstacle with joy!"

"Same here, really." Said Merlin, thoroughly bored. He drew his twin saxe knives as well, and made the first move.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Clyde ran with the bottles in his arms, if he had his ranger clothes on him instead of the red robes, stuffing them in his own medicine bag would be a great help, but now he had to move quickly while still holding the bottles, knowing that if he dropped any, he might die a painful death. Though he thought this in a child's mind, he also thought that his short height would not make it a huge drop for the bottles. Suddenly confused, he decided to give himself to running as fast as possible.

Approaching the camp, the boy thought he would see the cultist leader on the run, but he was greeted by the old man along with his legion of followers behind him, right in front of the exit.

"Welcome, lad. Are you here to return to Hyrd'mis? Or will you still refuse your enlightenment?" He said menacingly.

"I'm here... To k-kill you!" Said the boy, holding the bottles tightly.

"That I'm aware of. So you made it past Ruby... She was a respectable pawn that played her role just right." Thinking that the woman was dead, he voiced his last opinion of her as a form of requiem. "So, my final offer: Do you want eternal joy or not?"

"I don't want... I don't want anything more to do with you!" Clyde was about to throw a bottle he struggled to grab as he tried to hold all the bottles in place with one arm, yet he couldn't throw it, because he realized that if he did, he would likely kill most of the cultists, innocent or not, in the process.

"Hmm, when I am shielded by my faithful people, you can't throw that, can you?" The old man taunted the boy with his dark eyes.

Clyde tried to distance himself from the cultist's words, and focused on a way out. What could he do?

"Come on, my trusty legion, dest- Wh... What are you doing?"

The boy put all of the bottles on the ground and opened his arms as the cultist leader spoke.

"I..." He tried to find the strength in himself.

"Go, tear him ap-"

"Followers of Hyrd'mis, listen!" Clyde yelled with all of his strength. It was a voice that he himself hadn't heard before. The power to speak up, the power to share his honest thoughts... Clyde realized the strength of his voice. The old man's screams were drowned and no longer a source of fear for the young apprentice.

"I know! I know that just being happy without any condition is something we miss... But is it what feels right? Is burying our heads in the sand okay? I fell in the same trap... and I won't let any of you do the same!"

Hearing his words, most of the jewelled cultists looked at him with blank eyes.

"No! Don't listen to such lies!" William suddenly felt weak.

"That guy is taking advantage of you... He knows that you're hurt and he benefits from it! Don't you see!?"

A big majority of the cultists were now listening to the child over William.

"Wake up from your dreams and leave this place! Go back to your own reality, please!"

As he said that, the hypnotised people walked out of the camping spot as if they were given another command. Did it work? Were they free? Clyde didn't know, but he knew what he had to do now.

"You don't have any shields now!"

"I might not, but I have a weapon!" William said as he showed the kid the bottles he had left on the ground. Having picked up some of them as the boy's sight was fixed on the cultists, he was ready to throw the mixture.

"I gave you a chance. You should have taken it!" He bottle after bottle with fury.

Clyde jumped backwards and took out one more bottle from his robe. This time, he poured the white fluid all over his body.

"Melt into nothing, foul creature!" Said William as he kept throwing the bottles in a craze, and suddenly, the boy took a deep breath and delved right into the red mist. As he ran inside the corrosive vapor, the fluid he poured over himself started to crystallize and scattered piece by piece, but his skin didn't feel harm, only a slight, itchy feeling.

"H-how? That mist is my own concoction, it can't be stopped!" William felt more and more anxious as the boy dashed through the mist. Did I really underestimate the kid? But he is just a small kid... He thought to himself, not knowing that these would be the very last thoughts that would pass his mind.

Clyde exited the mist and drew his saxe knife, swinging at the old man as he avoided his slashes, frightened. He was so confident in himself that he hadn't brought a weapon with himself, thinking the cultists would be enough, but even the people that willingly joined him were scattered and left him alone. As he turned around to dodge another attack, Clyde unexpectedly tackled him instead of swinging the knife, pushing him into the heavy, crimson mist. Refusing to listen to the man's shrieks, he quickly ran back to see his friends. The cultists could have ran away, but Merlin and Bryce came first.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Merlin's duel with Ruby was going at a surprisingly close, head to head way. For each swing of the red headed woman, Merlin had a way to parry it in his sleeve. However, the opposite was also true. Both of them were masters at using knives, using distractions to strike the other's weak spot, but they knew each other's tricks before they were initiated.

"Think you are talented or something?" Merlin tried to get to her by speech, but Ruby was not listening to anything. She was silently performing strike after strike, wearing Merlin down by time. She swung her knife once more, being parried by the dark haired ranger's weapon, and her secondary attack was also blocked by his other knife. At this rate, I'm going to lose... No, I can't! Thought Merlin to himself. He couldn't have it in his pride to lose, or even get hit. Suddenly, he saw Clyde approaching from far away and tried for another chance.

"Hey Clyde, wanna lend a hand?"

But not even that could distract the woman that was blinded by false love. She kept her relentless attack going and didn't look like she was going to stop.

Darn it, how can I surprise her? He thought. He was at a loss, until he finally realized something: To surprise an enemy with the same fighting style, he had to surprise himself.

Ruby lunged at him with another slash, and Merlin dodged the strike instead of blocking, getting scratched on the arm in the process.

"Agh! N-no..." He held his arm as if he was in great pain, and watched the woman's wild smile upon seeing him in that state. Just a second before she dealt the decisive blow, he used his scratched arm to thrust the knife right through her heart.

"Gh! B-but..."

She couldn't say one more word as her dark, vibrant red blood spilt on the grass. She had been taken by surprise.

"What a mess." Said Merlin, as he saw Clyde approaching. The boy's freckled face had taken a pink color from running too fast, and he was breathing deeply. Upon seeing the woman lying on the grass, he turned his face to the other side.

"Bryce... Let's go to Bryce."

"Yeah, he should be done by now, really." answered Merlin, and the two of them advanced to the spot where two former knights were dueling.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Bryce was spending the last of his strength, as he managed to protect both himself and Gilbert from Cleo, but the lance in his hand was starting to feel heavy, and both his arms were feeling tired. The cultists formed a circle around the duel spot in the plains, as the two of them kept fighting. They seemed to be given up on the slender man's orders to kill the writer due to Pfeil keeping him out of reach. Blow after blow, Bryce used his energetic steed's youthful strength to move around and prevent Cleo from attacking swiftly without pause. He tried to attack with the lance a few times, but it wasn't easy to outmaneuver Cleo's horse and cause a major damage. Stuck in a stalemate, Bryce's energy was almost completely sapped out.

"Bryce, Bryce!" Clyde yelled out his mentor's name upon seeing him. Merlin made no noise as they walked towards the knights in duel.

The mentor heard his apprentice's voice, but he could not let it distract him this time. He blocked yet another attack from Cleo, but the tired ranger was at his limit. Sweat was pouring from his face and his breathing was gradually slowing down.

"Merlin, we need to help..." Clyde looked at the dark haired ranger beggingly.

"Nope. This is his own battle." Said Merlin seriously.

"Wh-what? Please don't joke about this!" The young apprentice felt really tense watching his mentor lose.

"Ugh, fine. I can give a small, tiny hint." Merlin replied. "Bry! Do the unexpected!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

"The unexpected? What do you have that I can't expect? You are a knight and so am I. I know everything!" Cleo laughed at Merlin's words as he charged at Bryce for the last blow.

Bryce also started charging towards his foe, building speed by the second.

"Gilbert, you're in charge." Said the tall ranger suddenly, jumping off his horse at the last time.

"Wh-what? No! Come back, I can't-" The writer instantly went in panic.

Also surprised, Cleo's movement was disrupted for a second, and that second was all that Bryce needed. Grabbing his saxe knife, he threw it from the distance to instantly stab the cultist on top of his horse, making him fall down and roll on the soil as a lifeless body. Without making any words, Cleo had perished.

"I was a knight... But I'm a ranger now." Bryce uttered as he stood next to him.

Pfeil stopped instantly afterwards, leaving Gilbert to complain about Bryce's reckless decision while breathing heavily.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"So, we're all clear now?" Asked the writer, changing back to his lavender clothes in the warm inn room. With the heads eliminated, the cult had not much reason to stand, but the jewelled cultists that they couldn't recover, along with the actual cultists, were still missing.

"Not 'all clear' yet, really. We need to fetch the rest of them." Answered Merlin. Perhaps he was the happiest to change back into his normal clothes, but he wasn't going to voice his feelings about it.

"Now, aside from the leftovers, we need to escort Gilbert back to... Where did you live, again?" Asked Bryce.

"Oh, I'm a traveller, I don't have a home." Answered Gilbert. "I'm glad I got to journey with you, I learned a lot of new things to write!" He added excitedly. "Perhaps I'll write something about rangers?"

"No you won't. Also, why are we still not arresting him?" Merlin said with an annoyed tone.

"He did help a little..." Clyde tried to defend the writer out of pity.

"Yeah. Besides, he won't write anything about the king or us, will you, Gilbert?" Bryce playfully put his hand on the writer's shoulder, seeing him nod, but he made sure to squeeze his shoulder just hard enough to remind him of that promise.

"M-maybe I'll write a story book this time! Er... If I do write about those again, I won't object to being arrested." Gilbert finalized his plans.

"You can't object to being arrested, idiot." Merlin sighed. "You were kinda helpful, but mostly a pain, so all I'm giving you right now is an out. You better take it." He smiled at the writer in lavender clothes as he bowed and went out of the room, saying his farewells.

"Will we see him again?" Asked Clyde.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Time will show." Answered Bryce.

"Hopefully not." Answered Merlin.

It was once again time to say goodbye for the rangers. Merlin decided to follow the cultists to ensure they don't resurrect the cult, but his friend had his concerns.

"So, you are really fine with taking the rest of the cultists on your own?" Bryce asked.

"Yes, Bry. I can handle that much, you see." Said Merlin, feeling overwhelmed by his friend's protective nature. "You just take good care of Clyde. He's not that bad. Likely better than you." He laughed and waved a small goodbye to the mentor and the apprentice. Waving back, Clyde realized this was one of the first times he saw an actual smile on Merlin's face. It was for a mere second, but both Bryce and himself was willing to cherish that one second of honest emotion.

Riding back home on Pfeil, Bryce and Clyde talked about daily, relaxing topics. Clyde had missed Gale so much and wanted to see him back home while Bryce wanted to visit Mark to see how the Head Healer was doing, and so on, until the mentor remembered suddenly:

"Clyde, since we're leaving, is there something you want to do before we go home?"

"Hm? Oh..." Clyde went deep in thought for a moment.

"Yes... I think."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Does it really feel alright to be back here? I know that you..." Bryce felt concerned about his apprentice for a moment. Far from the snowy, small town, the two of them were walking towards the old manor.

"It's okay... I just want to set things straight." Said the ginger headed apprentice.

The moment they stepped in front of the manor, Clyde felt the memories flooding back, but he couldn't act like any of them never happened, nor could he constantly remind himself of them. It had happened, and it was past. Now it was time to confront the last person left in his family.

However, right as he approached the door of the manor, he noticed something different in the yard. Beside the grave of his dear uncle, there was another grave. Running towards the yard, he read the name written on the marble gravestone.

"Here lies... Paul de Alexandre." He read the grave with a shaky voice.

"Clyde, what's..." Bryce couldn't bring himself to ask a question.

"Heheh. It's just... Funny." Clyde let out small tears from his eyes. "I came here to tell you... That despite everything... I tried. I tried to love you, dad... I always wanted your love, too." He fell on his knees. "After all, I'm your son... I wish things didn't end up like this."

"Clyde, this isn't your fault." Bryce tried to comfort his apprentice.

"I know. It's not, but I still feel sad. I don't know... if I should or shouldn't, but..."

"You're such a nice person, Clyde. Even after everything, you still think of other people." Bryce smiled at him gently. The apprentice turned his face towards him and smiled as well.

"Here, I brought these for your uncle." The mentor took out a bouquet of primrose from one of the bags attached to the saddle of his steed. Clyde accepted the flowers with a thankful look on his freckled face and put the flowers on his uncle's grave.

"I'm sorry I couldn't visit you, uncle. I love you still, and I hope that you love me too. I will visit you more often, I promise!"

He took one flower out of the bouquet to place it on the grave next to his uncle's, the stood up.

"I feel... a little better now. Thanks, Bryce."

"Clyde, you wanted to do all of this, so thank yourself."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

After a long time, returning to Greenfield couldn't be more relieving. There were no prizes, celebrations or anything after the mission. After all, it was another basic mission for the other rangers. Bryce was sure some would even underestimate the amount of work it took to get rid of the cult, but he decided to keep a level head instead of bragging pointlessly. After the visits and the reunions, the moon started to appear a bit over the horizon, and brought with itself a curtain of soothing shade called night. Standing in front of their hut were the mentor and apprentice.

"It has been a tiring journey, hasn't it?" Asked Bryce.

"Yes..." Clyde couldn't say more, feeling drowsy already.

"So, you're ready to end the day?"

"Hmm... I think..." The young apprentice almost tripped over and fell.

"Clyde, would you mind... Would you mind if I ask you a question?" Bryce said as he opened the door, welcoming the apprentice inside.

"What is it?" The boy asked back curiously.

"It's... No, nevermind. I can't do this right after that." The mentor turned his shaggy bearded face away from his apprentice.

"What is it? Please, tell..." Clyde stood in front of his mentor once again.

"It would be insensitive of me to ask..."

"I... I want to hear." The boy looked at the man in front of him with eyes full of determination.

"Understood. Just sit over here." Bryce sat on one of the chairs next to the mahogany table and pointed to the other one for the kid to be seated on. The shorter chair used to be still a bit too tall for the apprentice, but he had grown slightly taller now, his feet finally touching the ground. Looking at his mentor's face with excitement, Clyde waited for the question.

"Well, you see, Clyde... You're..." Bryce took a deep breath and released it before continuing. "What would you think if I became your... your father... from now on?" He finally finished his question and nervously waited for the kid in front of him to answer.

"M-my father..." Clyde stood up and looked down at the floor for a moment. Bryce could see small tears forming up in his eyes, and instantly felt bad for asking the question.

"W-well, if you don't wa-"

"Dad!" Clyde jumped at his mentor with a tearful face and hugged him tightly.

"Whoa!" Bryce nearly fell off the chair from the impact.

"Son..." Bryce's uncertain face slowly changed to a comforted one, smiling with drops of tears welling up on his eyes as well.

Clyde sniffed after crying. "This is... Embarrassing... Heheh..."

Bryce snickered, then let out a loud laugh. "Yes, let's just stick to Bryce and Clyde for now."

"Yes, please." The ginger headed apprentice smiled sweetly once again. After all the adventures and hardships, it was worth it. It was worth to tell the truth, it was worth to try his best, because he had finally found a place he could truly call home, no questions asked.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.****.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.****.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

**Hello everyone! I usually don't add writer's note spaces to the chapters, but this one is special. We're half done with the story! Don't worry, there's more to come, but I think I will take a few weeks off to rest. Meanwhile, I'm preparing a small sidestory to develop Clyde and Bryce more. I hope you keep enjoying the story!**

**I'll also thank you for the reviews:**

**AreiaCannaid: **Thanks for always posting your thoughts and taking time to review! They are all precious to me and keep me going.

**Guest:** I'm really glad that you like it so much! I'll try my best to keep the story going to its intented end.

**Thank you all! I'll return after the break with sidestories and a new conflict!**


	23. Sidestory 1: Clyde's Solo Adventure

It was a bright, beautiful day in Greenfield. The morning lights flashed brightly on the trees just behind the oak hut of Ranger Bryce, painting the fresh green leaves to a bright color. The town square was slowly coming to its usual lively nature, and the rangers of the Fief, who were up before the rise of the sun, had just finished the chores around the house. The curly, ginger haired apprentice was outside, dusting the rugs with a stick. The long haired mentor was inside, preparing coffee for breakfast while the soup made from mushrooms his apprentice collected himself was steaming off, scattering its strange yet delicious smell all over the hut.

"Clyde, breakfast is ready! Come over, will you?" The soft yet deep voice of Bryce was heard from inside the hut. The shaggy bearded ranger opened the window of the hut, filling it with the smell of the fresh grass and a serene breeze. Clyde could see the mahogany table adorned with the cups and bowls from outside.

"I'm coming!" He turned his back to the dusted rugs and put the stick away, sprinting towards the oak hut.

"It's especially beautiful this morning, isn't it?" Bryce smiled as he pulled a chair to sit on. He kept his hair untied in the mornings, so the usually calm and refined ranger made his apprentice chuckle as he struggled to drink his soup without dipping his hair in it.

"Come on, your hair is always curly like that. You wouldn't understand my troubles." He joked as he realized the tips of his hair was wet from the soup. "Oh dear."

"Then... Why don't you tie it up? Here." Clyde threw his mentor a hairtie, which he promptly caught in his hands and proceeded to put his hair up in a ponytail.

"Thank you." Said Bryce as he took a sip from his black coffee. "Say, how is Jacob and his apprentice doing? I haven't heard of them for a while." He asked, looking at the view from the window.

"Glade? He's OK. I wrote to him recently." Clyde answered as he took a bite out of a small loaf of toasted bread in his hands. "I don't know about Jacob, Glade doesn't talk about him that much." He drank a little bit of milk coffee from his cup.

"Ah, I see. I hope the Genovesan business is done with." Bryce said, thinking about the incident with the assassins two years ago. Time flows fast, he thought as he eyed the teen in front of him, the same person that once couldn't reach his waist in height.

"You really had a growth spurt, haven't you?" The mentor asked, feeling proud of the boy.

"Huh? W-where does that come from?" Clyde uttered, flustered.

"Nowhere, just reminiscing." Bryce chuckled as he finished the rest of his soup.

"Ah, now that I remember, Mark told me to send you over to the castle." He added suddenly.

"Really? Why?" Clyde asked with a confused expression.

Bryce shrugged. "I didn't ask, so we'll know when we go."

"I can go myself." The apprentice said somewhat curtly.

"Alright. You know the path up there, right?"

"Yes, it's been two years!" Clyde uttered in an annoyed tone. As the ginger haired apprentice moved in a hurry to change his clothes, a few strands of his hair that would never settle down wiggled in the air. After wearing his green cloak, a light, lime coloured sweater and his beige pants, he approached the door.

"Take care, Clyde!" Bryce said as he waved his son goodbye.

"You too!" The boy smiled sweetly and closed the wooden door.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Standing before the door of the hospital room, Clyde knocked lightly.

"Come in!" The voice of the Head Healer came from inside the room. The ginger headed boy opened the door and went in.

Inside the room smelled like medicine and herbs, and many herbs were stocked on counters inside boxes, each labelled with names. Tools were neatly put on a desk next to rows of beds for patients, and standing among the rows was the dark haired healer with sideburns, Mark.

"Welcome, Clyde!" He turned to the boy and offered a handshake, which he took.

"Hello, er... What am I... needed for?" He asked curiously.

"Ah, Bryce didn't tell you? Then I'll explain." said Mark. "Do you remember when we first met?" He asked the apprentice.

"Yes, uh, I think it was a long time ago." Clyde scratched his head, looking around the room.

"Yet you knew an exotic cure I couldn't dream of trying to use." As Mark said these words, Clyde's freckled face turned slightly pink.

"I'll cut to the chase. Would you like to take medicinal classes here?"

"H-huh?" Clyde felt confused for a moment. "But I'm already..."

"A ranger, yes. But you can still come here when you find some free time, right?" The healer insisted.

"Well, I guess..." Clyde still felt a little unsure.

"It's okay, you don't have to decide now. Please let me know when you want to answer." The man smiled gently.

"Thank you, sir." Clyde nodded and smiled back.

"It's really hard to realize how time flies past, right?" Mark suddenly asked.

"Hm? Oh... Yes, it is."

"When I was about your age, being the Head Healer on top of the loss of my mentor felt like a nightmare. But now that I look back, it was what made me who I am." The healer remembered the old times.

"You're lucky, Clyde. You still have your mentor to rely on." He smiled sweetly once again.

"Y-yeah..." Clyde said, avoiding eye contact. "I just kind of wish I... Nevermind." He shook his head and headed for the door.

"Thank you for the offer, I'll think about it!"

"No problem, Clyde. Take care!" Mark waved him goodbye as the apprentice walked out.

"He kind of reminds me of how I was before I got appointed here." The healer thought out loud. "I wish I could thank you before then..." He looked at a hanged painting of his late mentor and sighed deeply.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Clyde, Welcome!" The long haired ranger greeted his apprentice in front of the door. The ginger headed boy went in after answering by nodding.

"So, how did it go?" Bryce asked as Clyde sat on a chair to rest.

"I might take lessons from Mark... Is that okay with you?" The boy asked, feeling somewhat guilty.

"Of course! I mean, it was your own decision in the beginning." Answered the mentor, surprised.

"Really?" Clyde asked in disbelief.

"Yes, really." Bryce smiled at his apprentice as he nodded.

"Thanks!"

The afternoon went pretty calmly as the rangers did their daily patrol and checked the stable to look after their horses. Gale was getting older and slowly becoming an adult. The chestnut coloured coat of the horse looked very clean from Clyde's dedicated grooming. Young Pfeil beside him also sported a very clean smoky cream coat thanks to Bryce.

Returning from the stable, there wasn't much else to do, so Clyde gave himself to his daily accuracy training. His archery skills was pretty good in terms of a ranger, considering how he started out. Still, he felt like he was running behind Glade and Merlin, so he used the fact as a source of motivation to train more and more. Bryce also joined in, and the two of them kept chatting about daily, forgettable small talk in bliss as they shot their arrows one after another.

As the evening came, the skies were now a perfect mix of purple, red and yellow from the sunset. The crowd on the Greenfield streets was slowly scattering away as the shops slowly started to close, except for the inn and the tavern.

While Clyde was resting in the hut, Bryce went in with a few letters in his hand.

"Clyde, catch!" He threw him one of the letters and watched in glee as the boy snapped it in the air like a cat and started reading it. It was a letter from Glade.

"Dear Clyde,

I've returned from the mission! It went pretty well this time. I'll tell more about it in the Gathering. But there is a long time for that still... I wanted to meet the other rangers, too...

Well, at least I get to see Redmont again! Jacob won't stop complaining about all the work, but I love being a ranger. I'll definitely become the best of them, too!

Anyway, how are things with you? I've missed you after not seeing each other for so long. Write me back!

Glade"

Clyde smiled as he kept reading about the antics of his strange friend, and shook his head sideways.

"What does it say?" Asked Bryce curiously.

"Usual Glade stuff... Rangers." The boy snickered.

"That explains it, I suppose. You were having so much fun reading it." Answered the mentor, also smiling.

"I have received news too. But not something heartwarming, I'm afraid." Bryce picked a letter from the pile he put on the table and started reading it.

"What does it say?" Asked Clyde curiously.

"About a widely known bandit leader's last appearance. Apparently, he was last seen on Ghoulsbane." Bryce answered, deep in thought.

"So, what is it?" The boy asked again.

"Well, it's a mission to spot the criminal and either subdue or kill him. He likely has a group of other criminals with him, too." The mentor replied.

"When are we going?" Asked the ginger headed apprentice.

"We? Oh, about that..." Bryce scratched his head, somewhat unsure. "I was thinking of sending you to this one alone."

"Really? Oh... I see." Clyde looked a little unsure as well, but he didn't want to show that to his mentor.

"If you're not OK with it, we can do it together, too." Bryce said. "I just thought you might want to try something on your own. People your age tend to do that, after all."

"Huh? N-no, it's fine, I'll go!" Clyde waved his hands, not wanting to be misunderstood.

"Are you sure? You look a little pale." The mentor felt concerned for a moment.

"Really, I'm just fine. I actually... I want to prove myself too." The apprentice said with a serious tone.

"If you ever get stuck, send me a letter. There aren't any other cases around, and it seems like there won't be for a while. It's Greenfield, after all."

"Haha, yeah..." Clyde smiled, then looked around the hut. "I'll get my stuff, then."

"You're leaving right now?" Bryce said, surprised.

"Early bird gets the worm..." The ginger headed apprentice rummaged through his equipment inside his small room, taking his longbow and the belt with the sheathed knives, which hung over a nail stuck in the wall. He grabbed his medicine bag as well, then put everything to where they belonged and exited the room.

Seeing him so excited, Bryce couldn't help but laugh.

"...and early Clyde saves the hide, apparently." He added to his apprentice's words.

"Okay, I'll head out now." Clyde made sure he didn't forget anything and walked towards the oak door of the hut.

Before the apprentice left, Bryce smiled and pat his curly, ginger head.

"H-hey, No headpats... I'm not a child anymore!" Flustered, the apprentice quickly opened the door.

"Sorry, couldn't resist!" The mentor laughed loudly and handed him the reports in his hand, along with a small map. "These will come in handy."

"Thanks!" Clyde took the papers and waved his mentor goodbye. Bryce waved back and slowly closed the door.

"Whew... I hope I did what was right. Be safe, Clyde."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Clyde went to the stable and prepared the saddle of his horse with the chestnut coat. To bind it tightly, he made sure Gale didn't take a deep breath to loosen the ties when he exhaled it. After he was done, he got on the saddle and lightly pulled the reins to start the journey towards Ghoulsbane. The reports said the last sighting was there, so the apprentice thought it would make sense to search around the Fief for any information first.

"It has been a while since we got to adventure like this." Said Gale excitedly.

"Hasn't it? Except this time, we go on our own." The ginger headed ranger replied.

As the chestnut coloured horse treaded the slightly moist ground beneath, Greenfield looked smaller and smaller until it couldn't be seen anymore. Clyde took out the small map that he kept in his pants' pocket and checked the road ahead. One year ago, he had been to Ghoulsbane for a short while with Bryce and Merlin, but that journey was from Norgate to that Fief, therefore a different path than Greenfield's.

"Okay, I think we go straight for a while, then turn from that forest path, and then..." Clyde whispered to himself.

"Are you feeling comfortable with the map? I can lead us I you'd like." Gale tried to be helpful.

"Don't worry, I got this... I think." The freckled face of the apprentice was focused on the small map. Clyde was not that good at cartography and map reading at first, and only recently started to be adequate for a Ranger.

"If the others don't have any problems with it, I shouldn't too." He put the map away and grabbed the reins of the horse. The journey to Ghoulsbane had begun.

"Okay, turning from that hill, we should go straight and we will make it... Probably... I-I mean, surely!" Clyde said, somewhat concerned. Gale made no noise and kept walking.

"It's getting boring... Hey Gale, what's up?" The apprentice asked in a lonely manner.

"Do you miss the others, already?" Gale let out a question instead of an answer.

"I don't miss anyone, I was just bored." Clyde sighed as the duo kept walking through their path.

"The other horses were fun, too. I miss Feder already." The ranger horse started talking again.

"I can understand. I mean... for me, it would be like if Bryce had to retire. That just sounds... harsh." Clyde replied. A mild breeze ran through his hair, making the few strands that refused to stay down wiggle as they moved.

"He complained all the time, but he was a nice guy. I was honoured to walk with him."

"D-don't talk like he died!" Clyde reacted suddenly.

"Okay, okay. Don't be so tense. I'm still here." The horse tried to calm the boy down.

The path seemed to go on and on as Clyde looked around for any suspicious activity, and soon both he and his steed felt tired and hungry. Clyde jumped down and walked alongside Gale for a while to let him rest as he took out the map once more.

"I see... From here we can head to a small town or camp around here." He thought aloud as they walked. "Which one sounds better?" He asked to his horse, petting the beige mane of the horse.

"You're the boss." Gale said contently as Clyde's hand ran through his coat.

"Well, then... We could go to the town. It's... a bit of a walk from here, though..."

The horse made a noise that could only be explained as snickering. "You really just want to sleep in a bed, don't you?"

"Yeah..." The boy smiled. "You would like a barn to stay in, too."

"Touché!" Gale said excitedly as he thought of a comfortable sleep.

"Then, let's walk a bit more." Said Clyde, and they headed towards the town through the shadows of the nearing night, slowly unveiling its glittering stars among its deep blue colours.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Near midnight, The worn out apprentice walked with his horse to the entrance of the town. The town was a really basic one, with nothing in particular that would be worth noting. However, the perceptive eyes of the boy noticed that without a proper wall or any form of defense, it looked rather vulnerable. Walking inside with tired steps, he nodded to the sleepy guard that was leaning onto his spear which clearly used to be a pitchfork, as he nodded back, immediately recognizing him as a ranger by his clothing and the green and gray coloured cloak.

Clyde searched for an inn that still had its lights on in the middle of the night, walking past the small, one story buildings that he assumed were either the people's houses or small facilities like bakeries. With the darkness laid over everything like a curtain with no light source in sight, he couldn't notice the details.

Suddenly, a very dim light striked Clyde's eye. As he approached the source of the light, he soon noticed it was a small inn with a ln old barn near it. The boy smiled and pet the mane of his horse, then he walked over to the front door of the inn to speak with the innkeeper. Paying a small price for one room to stay in, he also paid for his horse to stay in the barn and eat some tasty hay.

As he thanked the innkeeper and left to place Gale in the barn, he noticed that there was a faint hint of music coming from the room next to the entrance of the inn. He shrugged and wished his horse a good night, then headed back to the inn.

Inside the inn, Clyde subconsciously went over the the room that he previously heard the music from. Inside the room was a fireplace built from bricks which stayed connected to the stone wall supported by wooden pieces, which had several drawings hung over it. He sat down on the somewhat comfortable stool that had a small cushion over it. Inside the warm place, the calm sound of the stringed instrument the bard across the room played scattered around the corners, making the boy feel even sleepier. The woman, who sat comfortably on a chair in the corner, had a big red hat that covered her face when she tilted his head just right, so Clyde could only see her long wavy hair reflecting the light of the bright fireplace, mixing the orange colour of the fire with its own earthy, yet strangely lively brown colour.

I must be falling asleep, the boy thought, his thoughts slipped into deep spots and refused to switch over, and so did his eyes. He shook his head lightly and got up. As the woman stopped playing, he put a silver coin that he took from his pouch on the table she was sitting next to. As he felt the need for a short rest even more desperately than before, he climbed up the stairs of the inn and opened the door of his room to find a modest, yet comfortable view in front of him. Clyde changed his clothes, put his weapon belt in the corner where his bed laid, and accepted the invitation of his soft blanket to fall asleep and go deep into the realm of dreams.

With the first rays of sunlight hitting the window of the room, the apprentice ranger had already woken up and changed his clothes back to his usual work attire. After donning his cloak, he grabbed his equipment and opened the door. Downstairs, he could hear a song, likely sung by the same bard he had met beforehand. With nobody else besides him, the innkeeper and the bard inside awake, Clyde was impressed by the punctuality of the young woman.

He bid his farewells to the innkeeper and left the building to continue on his journey to Ghoulsbane. However, just as he took the first few steps out, a woman ran towards the boy, stopping right in front of him. She wheezed and coughed for a few moments, breathing heavily. Clyde waited for the woman to regain composure, unsure of what to do.

"Forgive me, lad. Are you... Are you the ranger that stayed in that inn?" She asked anxiously.

Clyde was aware of the effect rangers had on the townspeople, and a small town that didn't see any rangers frequently would only escalate the frightening nature of them. He had even heard of a few people thinking that they were wizards that disappeared into thin air using dark magic.

"Yes Miss, I think I am." Clyde replied calmly. He combined the speech of his fellow rangers in his head to form a distant, yet dependable tone.

"Ah, thank heavens! Please help us out!" The stubby, somewhat old lady cried out.

"Okay. Calm down, please. What is the problem?" Clyde replied again.

"The boar... It attacked my husband, he barely escaped with his life! I heard our neighbours lost almost all their crops too." She explained in panic.

"Haven't you contacted a Fief? They would love to set up a boar hunt." Clyde offered a solution.

"We tried, believe me, we did. But everyone's so busy with the damned Genovesans and this new problem with the Galls... There was no time for us poor people, apparently." She tapped her foot on the ground repeatedly as her troubled face turned into a somewhat disgruntled one, then she realized she ranted to an official and apologized profusely.

"It's okay, it's okay." Clyde tried to calm the lady down. "I'll try to handle that boar. Just tell me where you last saw it."

"Oh thank you, dear ranger. We are saved!" The woman ran back as hurried as she was when she arrived.

"But... I've never seen a boar hunt before..." Clyde mumbled to himself nervously. He tried to remember the details about a casual conversation he had with his mentor a few weeks ago.

"Ah, yes!" He suddenly remembered. The point of the boar hunt was to use its immense speed and strength against itself by setting a pike against it. The animal would get its head pierced by the impact, freeing the hunters of the troubles of fighting with a boar. Clyde got a clear idea of a plan and ran to the nearest carpenter he could find in the town.

"Excuse me!" He knocked on the door and got in. "Are you working here, sir?" He asked to the man sitting on the stool inside the wide room with various carpentry equipment scattered about.

"Huh? Yes, lad! I am. What do you want?" The man suspiciously looked like he got caught sleeping.

"Could you make a barricade with spikes on them?" Clyde asked. His plan was to avoid risking anyone's life by using a pike given to a person that most likely didn't know how to use one. Seeing as the only guard he saw in the town used a pitchfork in place of one, he thought that would be the best course of action to take.

"Sorry, lad. Fresh outta wood." The man said, then slowly started snoozing.

"Fresh out? Er... Don't you have at least some?" Clyde asked.

The man didn't answer. He had pulled the knit hat to cover his eyes, likely feeling too sleepy to get onto work in the morning.

"Okay... I'll just try another carpenter, then." Amazed by the man's incompetence, Clyde strolled the streets to find another carpenter, but it appeared that the one he just got out of was the only one in the small town.

"S-seriously..." He took deep breaths and headed back to the inn to find someone that could help. He would have tried to hunt the boar on his own, but he didn't know if he could succeed.

"If only Bryce was here..." He imagined the man who was once a knight could easily handle the pike in this situation, but since he was alone, he had to solve it by himself.

"Hello?" He opened the door and went inside the inn, but the inn was as empty as it was before. Clyde slowly started to realize why the boar was such a threatening sight for such a defenseless little town. He etched it in his mind to write in the reports later to provide more capable people in there, but then he realized that this task wasn't even in the reports and that he still had to go to Ghoulsbane. The ginger headed apprentice gave out a big, painful sigh.

"May I help you?" The teasing voice belonged to the bard from before. Now that she was standing on her feet, the green eyes of the woman was clearly visible.

"Ah, it's... None of your concern, sorry." Clyde didn't think a bard could be the answer to his problem.

"Well, you looked very troubled outside. I figured you'd need help." She said innocently. However, Clyde caught a sly smile on her face that didn't look so innocent.

"You were watching me?!" He lost composure for a moment.

"Well, the scenery gets so dull after a while. Couldn't help it! Besides, you handed me a silver coin. That's kind of a big deal for a poor little gal like me, you know." She answered. "Aren't you a ranger? I bet you're on some mission."

"That is also none of your concern." Clyde felt a little annoyed. "If you don't have anything to help with the boar problem, please don't disturb me."

"Oh, the boar? Can't you just put a few arrows in it and call it a day?" The bard replied jokingly. However, as she saw Clyde leave, she moved quickly to stand in front of him.

"Wait, I can help, really." She looked serious enough for Clyde to keep his cool.

"Okay, then... Just come with me." He headed out once more.

"Alright, so... how can you help?" Asked Clyde, right in front of the inn.

"By offering you common sense." She replied in the same mocking tone. "If you can't set up a trap, then just hunt it like a rabbit."

"Rabbits don't really... Charge at you." Clyde replied back curtly.

"Well, yes, but can't you get it to trip or something? Then you can pin some arrows on it and be done with it." She advised.

Thinking about it, Clyde found it somewhat reasonable. If the boar's charging could be stopped, it wouldn't be much different from any other target.

"I'd need a bait to lure it out first." He suddenly realized that the fact that he can't shoot an arrow from horseback, which would make dodging the boar and moving around harder than it would be otherwise.

"Why don't you use your horse? I've seen lots of ranger horses befo-"

"No way!" Clyde cut the bard off before she could finish her sentence.

"Okay, okay... Then let it be me."

"W-what!?" Clyde was surprised by the sudden offer.

"Well, I am a wandering bard. I know my way around fights. Pretty sure a boar won't be a problem." She uttered nonchalantly.

Clyde sighed and touched his herb bag. Perhaps he could use his concoctions to help? He wondered.

"Alright... Have you heard of its whereabouts?" Clyde asked.

"Sure have, the townspeople are so chatty, as always. Follow me." She took the lead towards outside of the town, but Clyde stopped her, as he had yet to take his horse with him.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Walking towards the entrance of a nearby forest, Clyde followed the bard with Gale. They haven't ventured too far inside when Clyde sensed an abnormal movement in the forest. It was rushed and forceful, as if whatever was there was tearing the forest apart.

"Let's... Let's move out a little." He advised.

"Huh? Why?" The woman asked.

"Do you want those to be your last words? Listen to Clyde!" Gale said angrily, but the woman couldn't understand him like rangers could. Nevertheless, she moved aside as the noises got louder.

Suddenly, a large boar appeared from the depths of the forest and went outside as it didn't hit anyone in its path.

"Look at the size of that thing!" The woman yelled in awe. The boar looked really ferocious with its sharp and pointy tusks. As soon as it slowed down and stopped, it turned around and focused on the woman in the vibrant red dress.

"S-stay still! I'll pour something slippery on the ground." Clyde shakily took a bottle out of his medicine bag and locked his eyes on the boar.

"What are you talking about?" The bard yelled.

"It's fine, just stay there!" The ginger headed apprentice focused fully on the boar's movements and as soon as it moved the slightest, he opened the cork of the bottle and sprayed the lime coloured liquid onto the ground. Reacting to the grass beneath, it foamed and formed a slimy obstacle in front of the vicious animal. The boar noticed the green substance, but it couldn't slow down as it had built too much speed. Trying to stop charging, it slipped and fell onto the softened, foamy soil.

"What just happened?" The bard asked in shock. Clyde didn't wait a second as Gale jumped next to him, and he grabbed his bow from the saddle of the horse to make his first shot. He sensed the slight wind, focused on the eye of the beast and released the string of the bow, all in just a couple of seconds. The arrow flew and hit the boar right in the left eye. It stayed still for a moment, but then turned crazy with horrifying, shrieking noises and finally got on its four legs. It charged on Clyde losing no time, but the ranger horse nearby was much faster. Clyde held onto Gale's saddle and pulled himself up just a few moments before the boar hit the tree behind him, and the chestnut coated horse dashed in a crescent shape before stopping and letting the apprentice get off.

The bard finally got her composure back and took out a large knife from her belt. The dizzy boar limped around as she ran up to it and threw her knife right over its right eye.

Now completely blinded, the frenzied animal screamed in pain as sharp metal was lodged in both of its eyes.

Clyde steadied his breaths and drew another arrow from the quiver on his back. He focused once more and shot a final arrow that went right into the boar's skull, bringing the rampage of the beast to an end.

"Right through the skull... How did you do it?" The bard asked in awe.

"We... Uh... Tend to do that." Clyde couldn't know what to say and blurted out the first thing that came into his mind.

The truth was that the arrow stuck on the skull of the animal was a special one specifically made to pierce armor, but the novice ranger didn't know if that was important information or not.

"You tend to do that, I see." She giggled. "So, do we carry it back to the town to sell? A fresh boar would catch a good amount of gold, I say." She added, somewhat greedily.

"Do what you want, but... Just clean the foam before that." Clyde said nervously. He wasn't sure if the concoction would be safe to consume, and he assumed that it wasn't.

"Then I'll be doing that. Where does the wind take you from here?" The bard asked cheerfully.

"Why are you so interested in that?" Clyde uttered, flustered. He got back on Gale and slowly walked to the distance.

"Well, interesting people... Interest me." She said, charmingly. Clyde didn't respond besides grabbing the reins of his horse a bit tighter, causing Gale to run faster.

Watching him go, the bard giggled. "See you around, silent ranger."

"That was a fun exercise, wasn't it? And that bard was so cute, wasn't she?" Gale excitedly talked to his owner as he walked steadily towards the main route of the town.

"Hush you!" Clyde said, with a reddish tint of color on his freckled face. He took out his map and looked at the surrounding landscape.

"We aren't far off... Before it's too late, let's go!"

The apprentice and his horse kept going towards Ghoulsbane to fulfill their mission.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Okay, I think that hill over there is... Wait, no..." Clyde was having a difficult time comparing the surroundings with the map, as the hills and trees and rocks started to appear increasingly often.

"Okay, okay... I think I got this." He focused on the map once more.

"This was the fifth time you've 'got this'. Are you really sure you don't want help?" Gale chimed in. Clyde rolled his eyes as he tried to figure out the path ahead them.

"This time, I'm sure... I think." The ginger headed apprentice scratched his head and put the map pack in his pocket. The rocky terrain and the grass gradually regressing told the duo that Ghoulsbane was near. After all, it was a mostly empty Fief that stood next to a cemetery, which was also not so rich on soil and plant life. The only form of vegetation could be the forest near the Fief and nothing more. People who came to this place usually wanted to rest and calm their heads in silence, or to pray for friends and family long passed away.

"Okay, so now we look for the cemetery, the rest should be easy." Said Clyde in a reassuring tone. He wasn't sure if he was reassuring Gale or himself.

However, his doubts vanished and scattered like dust as soon as he saw a glimpse of the Fief in the dark. The journey took around three days or so, Clyde had lost track of the time after they left the small town from before.

"See, Gale? I told you!" The apprentice smiled in glee.

"Oh dear, I have been proven wrong by the mighty and fearsome Ranger Clyde himself..." The horse tried to simultaneously cheer up and annoy his owner.

The Fief was just a few more minutes away. Clyde checked the guard tower from far away to see if they were around, and greeted them with a handwave once he got close enough. As a ranger, that alone was enough to be let in most Fiefs. Getting past the gates, Ghoulsbane's gloomy, yet calm feeling dashed around the apprentice's heart. However, he didn't waver and stepped in after getting off Gale, searching for a barn or stable for him first.

As the Fief had only one inn, he doubted it would have multiple barns that he could pick from, so Clyde settled in for the first one he saw. The old owner of the place greeted the apprentice and they compromised on a suitable price to let Gale stay in and get food for the night. His conscience clear with his horse resting in a comfortable place, Clyde decided to stay at the small inn of the Fief before investigating. Though, since the townsfolk were asleep and everywhere was shroud in darkness, the bandits could hypothetically try to enter the Fief for thievery. Clyde made sure to sleep while being fully alert, ready to jump out of the bed and into the fight if necessary. However, even after he started to sleep on the simple bed of his room, nothing disturbed him or anyone else.

When the boy woke up, the first lights of the sun had yet to hit the ground, and there was no noise coming from the town center. Normally, one would expect it to get livelier as people begin to wake up, but Clyde wasn't so sure of this in the quiet little Fief. After getting out of his room, he paid for a light breakfast made of an egg and diced vegetables and got out of the inn to visit the hut of Darc, the busy ranger of the Fief.

The hut was not too far away from the town, but much closer to the forest. After all, it's a ranger's hut, thought Clyde.

As he walked over to the front of the hut's door, he looked around curiously. The hut and the place around it was as bland as Ghoulsbane itself. Then again, Clyde didn't think it was better or worse than his home back in Greenfield. It must be the atmosphere, The boy thought as he knocked on the dark oak door.

"Hello, uh... Darc? It's Clyde." He said, then waited for a few seconds before knocking again. "Are you in there?"

It was apparent that the ranger was once again away on some mission.

"I should have known... He's always so busy." Said Clyde to himself as he sighed deeply. He had the chance to meet this ranger twice on his lifetime and missed both. From what he heard, Darc didn't join in a lot of Gatherings either.

"Okay, so then... I'll do it on my own. Just like I should." He tried to boost his morale.

Walking back to the town, he decided to talk to the townspeople to see if anyone knows about the whereabouts of the bandit group.

The town was a bit more lively than before, but people were not open for a chat as everyone was busy doing something. Whether it be work or chores, the people of Ghoulsbane seemed to be dedicated to what they do. Following that logic, Clyde decided to go to the inn and listen to the innkeeper.

"Bandits? Lemme think..." The man said to the ranger as he cleaned the counter in front of him. As Clyde looked around himself, he could see how clean the place was. The counters, tables, goblets, glasses and tableware, no matter what it was, it was sparkling clean. The place also didn't smell weird or disturbing. In fact, the boy could smell a faint hint of lime in the air. Then he wondered why the innkeeper was working so hard for a place that gathers such small amounts of customers, but he could see the sparkling joy in the man's eyes. He must love his job, Clyde thought. Then he turned to himself and felt a little bitter. He was running into all sorts of problems, and he was sure he didn't have that glint in his eyes anymore. Could it be that...

"Ah!" Clyde shook himself awake of his thoughts. Nowadays, he seemed to fall deep into his inner self more often than before.

"Are you alright, lad?" The innkeeper looked concerned. The look of the man's face reminded Clyde of his mentor.

"Yes, I am. Don't worry about it, please." The boy smiled nervously and played with the strands of his curly hair as he sat in front of the counter. "Could you remember anything?"

"Ah, yes, yes..." The man rubbed his chin as he looked rather troubled. "There were a few break ins and other crimes in the past few weeks, but it wasn't just one person. It was like a bunch of bandits just decided to take their anger out of our poor Ghoulsbane." He said, scratching what remains of the white hair on his head.

"Was this recent?" Clyde felt excited.

"Yes, the last one was a week ago, my lad. I advise you young people stay safe in these times. Lots of people out there to take advantage of you, you see?" The man said with a fatherly attitude.

"I'll be careful, thank you." Clyde replied as to not make the man concerned. "But I still feel curious. Where do they even come from?" He asked once more.

"Who knows? The guards looked into it more than we have, but nothing came out of it yet." The innkeeper answered. "Darc, that ranger lad, doesn't stop going on missions for a while, so we can't ask him either."

"That sounds pretty bad..." Clyde was about to lean back, but then he remembered that the stool he sat on didn't have anything on its back and almost fell down. Thankfully, the innkeeper didn't notice.

"Come to think of it, that pretty cloak of yours remind me of the ranger but you look too young for that sort of thing." The man pointed out.

"Haha, what a coincidence..." Clyde laughed off the subject, as he didn't know why he was hiding the fact that he was a ranger to the guy, but he felt like the intimate personality would fade if he came to know that.

"A-anyway, I have to leave now. Take care!" He suddenly got up and waved the man goodbye.

"Stay safe, my lad! Stay safe." The man went back to cleaning the counter.

"The guards... Okay." Clyde mumbled to himself as he moved towards the guard tower near the gate. There were two men guarding the place, and one of them saw Clyde approaching.

"Greetings, ranger. How can I help?" He said as he saw the anxious look on the boy's face. Weird, he thought. Usually, rangers wouldn't be very expressive. Perhaps there was something bothering this young man?

"I was wondering about the criminals from a week ago. Did you find out where they stay?" Clyde asked.

"Stay? I think they would just move on from here. Why would they need to plunder a town for so long?" The guard said.

"Well, didn't they continuously target this place?" Clyde said back. As the guard in front of him thought about his words, another, slightly shorter guard arrived next to him.

"Greetings ranger, can I be of service?" He asked.

"I'm handling it. You go back on watch." The guard beside him told him off.

"It was about time we switched places, then. I'm bored." The shorter guard said nonchalantly. Clyde couldn't believe his eyes as he saw the two of them bickering about their jobs in the most work oriented Fief in the country.

"Uh... Hey... Could you listen to me?" He tried to chime in the conversation, but the men didn't even hear him.

"Excuse me!" He yelled with all he had, to finally get them to notice the situation.

"Ahem... My apologies, ranger. I was just about to say-" The taller guard spoke in visible frustration, when the other one cut his words:

"About those bandits, yeah? We couldn't keep track of where they went, but the markings on the ground took us to somewhere between the cemetery and the forest."

"As I said..." The taller guard started talking in an annoyed voice. "The bandit in each case was different, so we thought it was just misfortune."

"I see. Thank you for your time." Clyde said politely and left before he could hear the two of them continue their arguing.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

After he returned to hid room in the inn, he took out the reports from his bag and read them once again. The bandits were indeed different in each case, but they were more likely to be a group acting together rather than just misfortune, so he decided to ignore the comments of the guard from before. After all, Bryce had explicitly stated that it was a bandit group, so there wasn't much room for any doubt. However, Clyde couldn't get why they kept targeting this old, silent Fief. The reported burglary attempts were for the simple places like the blacksmith, tavern and so on, but also, for some reason, Darc's hut. Clyde scratched his head as he tried to make sense of the situation, but ended up giving up and stuffing the reports back into the bag. As time was getting closer to the evening, Clyde decided to take a small nap to investigate around the place at night. If they were camping in one spot, going out to scout in dark would make it easier to stay hidden. Setting up a small plan in his head, Clyde closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

At midnight, the boy opened his eyes and got up the bed. He changed his clothes and wore his leather shoes. He silently slipped out of the inn and took Gale off the barn.

"Why so sudden? I was sleeping..." The horse whined to his owner as Clyde pulled the sluggish horse throughout the road.

"I need your help. Can you watch my back?" He asked.

"You can always depend on me!" The horse said proudly.

"You were complaining just a second ago." Clyde chuckled. Gale turned his face away as if he was mad at him.

The traces of the bandits were a week old, and likely were mixed into the ground by now, but the apprentice ranger could still read out some of them thanks to the soft soil of the place and the fact that not many people visit there. Even if they were slightly erased and mixed in with the forest critters' traces, Clyde could find a way through the forest to their camp, or so he hoped. As he walked towards where the traces took him, he signaled Gale to follow. As they went deeper into the forest, the shadows from the trees made the dark night shade even darker, troubling his sight until he could get his eyes adapted to the darkness and continue tracking down the traces.

Finally, through the trees and the bushes, Clyde could see a small light source, likely a campfire.

"Gale, stay here." He tried to tell the horse with his eyes.

"I'll tell if anyone comes by." The horse said back. Clyde smiled, laid down on the ground and started to slither towards the camp. Since he lowered his body, he doubted anyone would see him. Bryce had taught him well when it came to this type of movement, because he himself likely had to learn it properly to hide his tall body back when he was an apprentice.

As soon as he felt like he was close enough, Clyde got behind the nearest bush and started listening. The distance between him and the campsite was very close, and he could see the run down place with a few small tents barely capable of taking two people in, and a pathetic looking campfire that should have been extinguished ages ago. Though, since Clyde had already found them, it didn't matter anymore.

A man with dirt and charcoal on his face was talking to the other five people around him, this person was likely the boss around there, thought Clyde.

"...and then we go plunder the place however we like it." He likely had just finished another raid plan.

"But Boss... Why do we wait until tomorrow?" One of the bandits asked.

"If it was a one time thing, do ya think we would wait?" The boss said as if he was scolding the guy. "We ain't leavin' until we get those reports."

"Why do we need the reports anyway? We gonna play ranger?" Another man protested.

"Shush!" The boss hit the man in the head with a burnt stick they had likely used to roast something. "They're paying us like those damned Genovesans, Genovesans, you idiot! It doesn't matter why we need anything."

"Eh... As long as it's money..." The man said back, caressing the newly surfacing lump on his head.

Clyde noted whatever he heard in his mind to add to the reports later and took a quick peek at the group. If this was all of them, he was going to deal with six people at once. If it was one on one, he could handle it easily, but six made him feel a little anxious. Still, he had to prevent their plans somehow. He had time before the next day to try and stop them, because if they went for the hut, they could break down the door and steal as Darc was far away minding his own mission. He couldn't let that happen.

Clyde slowly lowered his body down again and crawled away. However, just as his luck would have it, he felt a strong urge to sneeze. He tried to prevent it, but could only do so much before letting it out uncontrollably.

"Bless ya." He heard another bandit, and felt relieved as he noticed they thought it was someone among them.

"I didn't sneeze." He heard another noise and hurried out of the place, but just as he was about to leave, one of them saw the shadowy figure crawl away.

"Hey, I saw something over there!" One of the bandits pointed at the figure.

"I'll check it." Another one walked over and started going down the same path as Clyde.

As the man walked behind him, Clyde either had to start running or avoid being seen, but seeing as the man also brought a lantern with him, The boy took a deep breath and bolted out. As he ran towards Gale, he took a peek to his behind to see four of the bandits chasing after him. He hadn't brought his recurve bow with him as it would limit his movement, so all he had on him was the saxe and the throwing knife, and neither would be enough to take out four people.

As soon as he saw Gale, the chestnut coated horse ran up to him and let him ride on the saddle. With Gale, Clyde opened the distance between the bandits and himself quickly, but the forest got thicker and thicker as they tried to get out of it, until riding a horse and walking wouldn't be of much difference in the forest path.

"Clyde, let's split up." Gale proposed.

"What!? Are you out of your mind?" Clyde didn't want to leave his friend and let him go towards an uncertain end just to save him, but Gale wasn't about to obey him when it was his life in danger. He threw Clyde off gently and let out a loud whinny.

"I'll be fine, just wait for me!"

The boy ran in the opposite direction after seeing Gale go, as he thought otherwise both of them would be caught. As he kept running, he noticed that the bandits weren't tailing him anymore and finally managed to step out of the forest, panting from exhaustion.

What was he going to do? Without Gale, he had no chance against the bandits and even if he called the town guards for backup, they could threaten him with killing his horse. Whatever Gale did, he had to get out of there alive and meet with Clyde.

The boy sighed and sat down in an obscure spot in the shadows to wait for Gale. As he looked at the sky, he could see the moon fading away as the dark blue color of the night was introduced to much lighter shades coming from the sun that was about to arrive. Clyde waited patiently, yet anxiously for the ranger horse to arrive. The moon almost disappeared, yet there was no trace of Gale. Clyde waited and waited but to no avail.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the silent ranger from before." Clyde turned his face to the familiar voice to see the bard smiling at him.

"You..." Clyde couldn't even say anything. He was worried about Gale, but by this point, it was obvious that he was captured.

"Are you OK? It doesn't suit a ranger to sit down brooding, you know." The bard said.

"I know." Clyde got up and stared up the blue sky. He didn't have time to deal with people. He needed to get Gale as soon as possible.

"What's the rush?" The woman said as the boy went past her. "Is this also 'None of my business'?" She added sarcastically.

"Exactly." Clyde took another step forward, but then he noticed he didn't know what to do. He was just trying to get away from her.

"See, there's something upsetting you since... I don't know, all the time? Are all rangers like this?" She asked with playful curiosity. Clyde sighed and sat on the faded grass once again.

"No, they aren't like this. I'm... I'm not the best example..." He cupped his face in his hands. "It's... Really, it's fine. I don't need to... I can't talk right now."

"I didn't say anything, though..." The woman looked at the broken ranger with a concerned face. "Are you sure you don't need to talk?"

"I don't want to bother anyone with my foolish problems." Clyde replied.

"Foolish? No, no, no. I've gone down that path, it's just better to let it all out." She said understandingly. The boy wondered why this woman became so caring towards him suddenly.

"I... It's just... I don't think I'm good enough." He sighed deeply and kept going on. "I've got many friends that are just better than me, and they're always doing their job perfectly well..."

Glade, Bryce, Merlin, Jacob... They were always around, at least one of them, whenever Clyde joined a mission. Was he incapable of acting without them? He wasn't able to do anything completely on his own, he thought to himself.

"...Then there's me who just loses his horse like an idiot and messes up at everything once he's alone." Clyde felt choked up as he felt small droplets flow from his despairing eyes. The only reason he had accepted the solo mission was because he wanted to grow out of his dependent self. He felt like he always troubled others around him, especially Bryce, and he didn't want to be clingy around them and drag them down with him.

"I hate it when I have to admit it, but when I'm alone, all I can do is worry and nothing more."

"I hear you. That sounds bad... Because you make it sound bad." The bard replied with a straight face and laid her back to the ground.

"Look at the stars above. It's a bit faded since it's almost morning, but you can still see them, right?" She said as she took a relaxed position. Clyde looked up and stared at the blinking stars.

"Well, yes but... I don't get you." He said.

"Look at them, because when you see just a single star in the sky, it looks pretty but when there are a lot of stars... It still looks pretty." She said, raising her hand and pointing at the fading glitter.

"And by that, you mean?" Clyde said, looking at her with a confused face.

"I'm saying it doesn't matter whether they help or not. We're all human, of course we'll get help from time to time."

"B-but I'm a rang-"

"I said human, no exceptions. One riot, one ranger? Pah! I'd like to see them try. When it's tough and you need help, you need help. That's how it is." She said confidently. Clyde looked deep into the woman's eyes. It looked like she was saying these right from her heart. It was unlike her sugar-coated, deliberate acting. In fact, he was sure that she herself poured her worries and troubles out in her own way.

"I... Thanks. That made me feel better, it really did." He smiled at the bard sincerely and stood up. "But there's still a problem. A material one that I need to solve. Will you help me with it?" He reached out his hand to her and she caught it, allowing Clyde to help her up.

"That's why I followed you here." She formed an impish smile on her face.

"Followed me? Just how did you know I was here?" Clyde asked, surprised.

"Well, you have your secrets, I have mine." She winked at the ranger.

"Well, whatever... We need to take out six bandits and save Gale on top of it. What's out plan?" Clyde took on a serious attitude. The mission's end was approaching.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"What a doofus, that kid calls himself a ranger? We got his horse right 'ere, let's see 'im fight without this pretty lady!" The bandit leader laughed loudly and slapped the back of the chestnut colored horse.

"Just so you know, I'm not a lady." Gale said, frustrated. However, there wasn't anyone who could understand him in the camp. The six bandits looked gleeful as they saw the sun rise, as the ranger that ran away didn't even bother returning after the last night. That meant the missing ranger's hut was wide open for them to take.

"Hold it!" An unfamiliar sound was heard in the camp, far away from the spot they stood on to bind the savage horse to a tall tree.

"What was that?" The leader asked, shocked.

"I'll check." The man that had almost caught Clyde before stepped in again, but this time, a few more of his friends tagged along, just to be safe. As they approached the tree that seemed to be the source to the noise, the charming voice rung out in the form of a song, drawing in more bandits to see what was going on.

Around the emptiness of the town,

Inside the shadows hiding from the sun,

When you need help surrounded by evil,

He shall come and punish the devil

Looking around, making no sound,

He is our Silent Ranger

He is the shadow that's moving around

He is our Silent Ranger

"What's that song? I thought it was the ranger!" One of the bandits yelled in complaint. "He brought someone else! Get down and show yerself!"

The shadowy figure atop the tree branch jumped down and showed themselves to the group of bandits. Wearing the green camouflage cloak was not the ginger haired ranger, but a woman with wavy long hair.

"What the... It's a girl!" Another bandit said excitedly.

"It's up to you now, ranger." The woman smiled silently.

The bandit leader wanted to stay behind to keep an eye on the horse, but decided to leave at the last second once he heard the song of the bard, leaving two of them behind to keep on watch. This was the one small mistake that the leader did that would later come to his downfall.

Suddenly, the one of the bandits nearby Gale felt a sharp pain in the head and lost consciousness in a moment. The other bandit looked at his collapsed ally in shock as he saw a metal object right next to him. The moment he flinched for a second, another one came right on his head to knock him out as well. Both of his strikers hitting right on the mark, Clyde moved swiftly and cut the ropes binding the horse to the sturdy tree.

"Clyde! I was worried you forgot about me and got a new horse." Gale said cheerfully.

"No horse holds your place, Gale." Clyde smiled and stroked the cream colored mane of the ranger horse.

The bandits had the woman bound by the ropes, and they quickly came to notice the couple of unconscious bandits and the missing horse. As they felt more confused by the moment, another melodious voice came from the woman.

Around the emptiness of the town

Inside the shadows hiding from the sun

When you need help surrounded by evil

He shall come and punish the devil

Looking around, making no sound,

He is our Silent Ranger

He is the shadow that's moving around

He is our Silent Ranger

Around the violence of the real life

Appearing suddenly, carrying a knife

Wherever he has to take the plunge

He shall smile and get them expunged

He is the night

He is the might

He is our Silent Ranger

"The second signal... Let's go!" Clyde said, jumping on the saddle of his horse.

Marching through the forest, Clyde and Gale reappeared on the campsite. Clyde lobbed a bottle of cloudy liquid over the bandits, and the moment it hit the ground, the lid of the bottle came off and released a smoky gas all over the three bandits and their leader.

"Wh-what's going on now!?" One of them screamed.

"We're under attack, imbecile!" The leader yelled in rage.

Jumping off Gale, Clyde ran right into the smokescreen and took out his knives. He stabbed one of the bandits in the stomach as he was looking around trying to see, and removed it quickly, ending his life suddenly. Clyde didn't even look at the corpse, and wasn't sure he would ever want to. The other two had noticed him as the smoke slowly started to disperse, and one of them swung a large blade at the ranger. Clyde took his throwing knife and used the saxe blade with conjunction to deflect the blow. As the bandit's surprised eyes faced the ranger, the last thing he saw was the throwing knife coming right towards his face. The last bandit found an opening as the clouds of smoke dispersed entirely and slashed with the long dagger in his hand. Clyde dodged the attack narrowly and tripped the large man with a sweep. With only his saxe knife left in his hand, Clyde tried to finish the bandit off before he could get up, but the man tackled the ranger and got on top of him, grabbing Clyde's hand that held the blade firmly. Just as he raised his dagger, Gale appeared out of nowhere and kicked him off the boy. Clyde threw his saxe knife to the chest of the bandit and slayed the man right then and there. Exhausted, his eyes searched for the leader. The common bandits were not superb combatants themselves, but the leader that bossed the around could be different. However, Clyde noticed that the leader was nowhere to be seen, along with the woman.

As he anxiously kept tracing the forest with his eyes, Clyde heard a third verse of the song faintly coming from the west.

He won't lose

He won't excuse

He's our Intelligent,

He is our Brilliant and

He is our Silent Ranger

The short song was much more faster than the other verses, and sounded more like a plea of help than a song.

Clyde rode on Gale and rode towards the source of the voice. The bandit was moving swiftly, dragging the bard with him. He is just a dirty coward, thought Clyde, with a momentary anger surfacing on his face.

Suddenly, when the man saw the mounted ranger coming towards him, he stopped and drew his blade, pushing it against the woman's neck. Clyde pulled the reins lightly and Gale stopped in his tracks.

"Come one step closer and the lass dies!" He screamed devilishly.

"Just use your bow!" Gale told his owner.

"I can't, it's just a recurve bow, it can't hit a target that far." Said Clyde.

"Not when you use it with me." Gale suggested. Clyde looked at the woman in distress and grabbed his bow. With a light tap on the horse's back, Gale rose up and stood perfectly still. Atop the horse, Clyde aimed with the bow and imagined the arrow flying straight into the man's heart. He could do this, he knew he could, because the training of two years and more couldn't fail him now. With help or not, he knew his own strength, and he knew what he needed to do. Even if it was his first time shooting atop a horse, the arrow made a small arc in the sky and travelled all the way to stick right into the bandit leader's heart, killing him instantly. The woman was unscathed, albeit shocked seeing the man beside him dead in a second.

"Are you okay?" Clyde asked once he reached her. The bard smiled.

"Well, I was almost afraid I couldn't return you your cloak." She handed the green cloak back to the boy.

After the couple of unconscious bandits were bound and sent to the guards for interrogation, Clyde returned to the Ghoulsbane inn to get everything set for the journey back home.

Once he got out and rode on Gale, the woman approached him one more time.

"To be honest, that was a pretty fun adventure I had with you, ranger." She smiled.

"I appreciate the time you spent on me." Clyde smiled back.

"Well then, if you're leaving, I hope we meet again one day. I'm a wandering bard, after all."

"I hope so. When we meet again, try to be less intrusive, won't you?" Clyde asked jokingly.

"Haha, sorry. That's just who I am. I shall miss you, silent ranger." The woman waved at Clyde as he started leaving.

"I have name, you know. It's Clyde!" He yelled on the way.

"You never asked but Barbara's the name!" The bard yelled back and giggled.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

It was a nice, calm night in Greenfield. The gentle breeze brought with it a relaxing feeling. As he closed the windows, Bryce untied his hair and changed his clothes before going to bed. Another day without Clyde started to feel kind of bland, but he was glad the kid could get some time for himself. Bryce hoped that Clyde never realized that his soft mentor was worrying to death about him, he didn't want to make him feel bad about doing something in his own for a change.

Suddenly, a knocking was heard on the oak door. Bryce walked over to open the door and found the ginger headed apprentice in his worn out state, smiling at him. Before he could say even a word, Bryce pulled him into a large hug, leaving him breathless for a few moments.

"Clyde, you're back!" Bryce said, smiling.

"Yeah... I'm glad I am." Clyde smiled back.

For the remainder of the night, Clyde told all about the journey to his mentor and made sure not to miss any detail. Bryce felt a bit distressed when he heard of the bandits hired to steal information from the rangers.

"First the Genovesans, and now this... It just adds up to the mysteries." Bryce stroked his shaggy beard as he spoke.

"What do we do?" Asked Clyde.

"Well, the investigations still continue, so we write the reports and wait."

"Ahh, the reports... Can I leave it to you? I'm so tired." Said Clyde sleepily.

"I thought you wanted to try your hardest on being a ranger. This is also a part of it, isn't it?" Bryce said back mockingly.

"Aah, please Bryce, I'm dying..." Clyde said in an exaggerated way.

"Nope. I've decided to be a strict mentor from now on." Bryce crossed his arms and smiled, looking at the tired apprentice meaningfully.

"Dad, come on... Please?" Clyde looked at Bryce with his blue eyes.

"You know I can't say no when you call me that, you monster!" said Bryce. "We'll split fifty fifty. Is it a deal?" He extended his hand to the boy.

"Deal, deal!" Clyde shook the hand of his mentor.

"Alright, it's time to sleep now. You look like a ghoul right out of Ghoulsbane." Bryce pat the back of the boy and sent him to his room.

"It's time to sleep for the old Bryce, too." He yawned and went to his own room. Everything went well and Clyde handled things in his own way. After all, one of these days, he wasn't going to need him anymore, but Bryce wasn't as worried now. In fact, he was more proud of his son than he ever was.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.****.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.****.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

**Hello everyone! Silent Ranger's returning with a short story this time. Before we move onto the rest of the story, I plan to have just one more short story, this time about Bryce. I hope you enjoy it!**


	24. Sidestory 2: A Bedtime Backstory

It was yet another calm night in Greenfield. The chilly breeze swirling about, the fresh smell of the grass and the serene sounds of the forest was inviting everyone to get inside and sleep watching the wide atlas of stars laid upon the sky. At that time, everyone in the town was sleeping soundly and peacefully. Everyone, that is, except Clyde.

What next to do now? Clyde was turning and tossing in his bed with little to no drowsiness despite all the herbal tea he collected and drank specifically to make him sleep easier. As a ranger, he was taught to sleep on demand but apparently, that sort of training was only effective in missions as the ginger haired apprentice had his eyes wide open laying on the small bed. Through the window beside the bed, he could see the sky and the stars shining and blinking at him, yet no matter how many times he had fallen deep in thought gazing at them, he still couldn't sleep. Clyde started to feel tired of not feeling tired.

Slowly, he shifted his sight to inside his small room. The wooden wardrobe, the small carpet on the floorboards, the chest that he kept his apothecary equipment in, right next to his ranger equipment... He looked at them one by one as if he was counting sheep, until suddenly the oak door facing the window opened slowly to reveal a large, shadowy figure.

"Couldn't sleep, could you?" Bryce poked his head through and smiled at the boy. "Mind a guest?"

"Always." Clyde smiled and got up the bed, taking a sitting position as he shifted to one side of the bed, signaling his mentor to sit beside him.

"Are you restless too?" Clyde asked curiously.

"Sort of, I guess." Bryce replied. "I suppose it is the excitement."

"Of what?"

"Don't you remember? The Gathering is not that far away." The shaggy bearded ranger grinned.

"Oh, well... I suppose? I don't know." Clyde turned to his front and sighed.

"Is something the matter?" Bryce asked gently.

"No, I just felt bored for a moment." The boy leaned his back on the wall.

"You're bored? In that case, how about a bedtime story?" Bryce chuckled.

"Don't be like that, I'm serious." Clyde pouted with a small blush on his face.

"So am I." The mentor laughed as he put his arm on his son's shoulder. "Have I ever told you the time I became a ranger?"

"What? No, you didn't!" Clyde replied excitedly. He was very curious about his mentor's past.

"Well, I promised to tell you everything from now on, so I'll talk about a lot more than that. Is that okay with you?" Bryce looked at Clyde meaningfully.

"Oh, of course!" Clyde nodded eagerly.

"Well then, once upon a time, there was a dashing young man..."

"Y-you're making it sound like a fairy tale!" Clyde interrupted, somewhat annoyed.

"Oh, my apologies. I just wanted to mess with you." Bryce chuckled as Clyde glared at him, but soon after, the boy also joined in the laughter.

"Alright, I mean it this time. It all started when..."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Ahh... I'm finally done. Time for a break!" A young Bryce wiped the sweat off his forehead, looking at the tilled land in front of him. "Let's hope all this fetches a good price." He threw the worn hoe aside and headed back home to wash his face filled with dust and dirt from all the work.

"I'm home!" He yelled as he opened the loose wooden door of the small settlement a few minutes away from the crops.

"Is it you, boy? Are ya finished?" Came a deep voice from inside. Bryce walked in after dusting his clothing with his hands and greeted his father.

"Yes father, it's done!" He smiled brightly.

"Good, good. Go eat something now, will ya? We already ate a while ago."

"Ah, here comes my Bryce. How did it go?" A woman with a small scarf tied around her hair to hold it up walked in with a bowl full of milk and a huge loaf of bread with lots of cheese melted in it in her hands. She put the food on the wooden table in the room and almost tripped on the woven rug on the floor on her way to embrace her son.

"I-it was fine, mom. I do this every day, you know." Bryce replied somewhat overbeared.

The father shook his head. "Don't I always tell you, woman? You're raising him too soft. He needs to get tough for the life ahead."

"Aren't you the tough one? We see you bowing in front of Lord Jean every day to get the smallest bit of payment." The woman replied sassily before Bryce could answer for his own accord.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"Wait, wait, wait... Bowing before a Lord? Tilling the land? Isn't this..." Clyde interrupted the story with a surprised face.

"Right. It's like in Gallica, because I was born in there." Bryce said calmly.

"You never told me this! So you weren't Araluan?"

"Well, partly. My mother was from Araluen, but we lived most of our lives in Gallica behind the safe walls of Lord Jean."

"I see... Weren't the Lords harsh with their... Um..." Clyde fiddled with his fingers as he search for an appropriate term.

"Well, more or less, most were treated like slaves, but not Lord Jean. There were some fair people in my times, Clyde. And I doubt there aren't any now, just very obscure." Bryce shook his head meaningfully. "Well then, let me continue, will you?"

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

As the couple kept bickering as means of spending time, the father grabbed a large bucket from under the table and handed it to his son without breaking eye contact with the woman.

Bryce nodded and left the room after taking a piece of bread with cheese in his mouth and washing it down with the milk. The large bucket was to be filled with fresh milk. The milk was not for the family, but to be sold for a reasonable price outside the walls. Lord Jean would pay for the produce when it was presented to him, but the sheer amount of his people made it impossible to pay a good price for most of it. For this reason, many of them were sold outside instead.

Bryce took a deep breath and grabbed the bucket filled with pure white fluid after he was done milking the cows.

"Now comes the hard part... Come on Bryce, you can do it!" He encouraged himself as he started walking towards the outdoor market far away from home. The gray, sturdy stone walls of Lord Jean's residence was far behind as he stepped out to the green plains beyond. The patches of grass were not as bountiful and alive as Araluen's, as it was visibly faded in colour on the footpath and around.

The spot Lord Jean's settlement stood in was pretty far away from the center of the country, and the piece of land was divided by a river that had a small bridge on it. To reach the market, Bryce needed to cross the bridge after walking all the way there, but the problem was more about surviving the bandits and thieves all around more so than walking a long path with a heavy bucket in hand.

Finally, after a long travel, Bryce was just steps away from the bridge sitting on top of the river that ran fiercely as if tearing the land apart. He put the bucket down and exhaled deeply, panting as he felt the exhaustion running through his veins. His short hair was sticking flat on his scalp from the sweat and the bright sun glaring from above didn't help either. He tried to shake it off and approached the bridge, only to see a man clad in armor, riding a horse blocking the path.

"Stop right there, peasant!" The man yelled at him. The cracks in his voice and the weak looking posture of his body told the young Bryce that this man was quite old still, he was wearing a strange helmet and some armor, so he could easily pass for a knight in a peasant's eye.

"Excuse me, sir. Could you let me pass? I need to go to the market if I want to sell this milk." He raised the large bucket and pointed to it with his other hand.

"Well of course, peasant! Only if you pay the toll. The Knight of the Crimson Rose could only be satied with valuable things." The man opened his palms expectantly.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"Pffft! The Knight of the Crimson Rose? That's the silliest name I have heard in a while!" Clyde interrupted the story again, this time by laughing.

"Well, I am translating everything from the mother language, so take it with a grain of salt." The mentor chuckled. "It sounds cool when it's in Gallic."

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

Bryce scratched his head and waited for a moment.

"You could just have a bit of the milk and let me pass, sir." He raised a bowl he carried alongside the bucket. The knight laughed at him mockingly.

"A mere milkman shall not pass the sacred bridge. Now get out of the way or perish by my sword!" He waved the sharp sword around threateningly.

Bryce was scared, but he didn't have time to react as the so called knight charged towards him with the horse. He narrowly dodged a slash and ran as fast as he could as the bucket of milk fell on the ground and spilled around some of the liquid inside. The plain didn't have many vegetation on it besides a few trees, and he decided to take refugee on the one that looked the sturdiest.

"What kind of knight attacks a normal person like this?" Bryce asked in confusion. The man slashed with the sword again, only to get it stuck on the tree bark. He struggled to take it out, and when he couldn't even make it budge, he gave up and took his lance on his hands instead.

Bryce acted on instincts and pulled the sword with his hardest the moment the man let it go. He moved it around as it sent cracking sounds through the sturdy bark, and after just a few seconds, it popped out. The boy now had a weapon in his hands, but no knowledge of how to use it.

"En garde!" The knight charged at him once more. Bryce didn't think he could deflect a blow from a lance with just a sword, so he once again followed his instincts and threw the sword with both of his hands at the knight. The heavy hilt tilted the balance of the sword and it hit the man right on the head with the blunt pommel. With the force of the clashing metal, the man fainted, falling off his horse. The horse didn't wait around for one moment and ran off towards the unknown.

"What just happened?" Bryce looked around meekly, then grabbed the bucket once again and swiftly hit the road for the market to sell what remained of the fresh milk.

After getting a moderate amount of money for the produce, Bryce started walking back home. As the long road kept going on, he strangely felt like he was being watched by multiple eyes. Despite looking around continuously, he didn't catch a glimpse. Then he shrugged and decided to move on.

"Is that all?" Bryce's father looked at the coins in his hand in confusion.

"Sorry, a knight stopped me when I was passing the bridge and I spilt some of it when I was avoiding his lance." Bryce said apologetically.

"You what!?" The parents yelled loudly in unison.

"It's OK! I'm not hurt. I would run away but he just attacked before I could." The boy tried to ease his parent's minds.

"Some knights these people are, attacking innocent people like my son!" Bryce's mother ranted loudly as she grabbed the boy's arm to help him get seated on a wooden chair, then she left to get a glass of water.

"Well son, if it's that dangerous outside then I don't need you selling the milk on the market. Lord Jean will do just as well." The father said, concerned. As harsh as he might seem, he was actually as concerned about his son as the mother.

"Ah, no, no! It's fine. I like to be outdoors even if it is dangerous and hot outside. We don't get many chances to stay out in our lifetime." Bryce protested politely.

"What do you mean!? We stay in to stay alive!" The father replied angrily.

Before Bryce could talk, the mother came in and handed him a glass of fresh water and he drank it as his parents talked about the situation.

Suddenly, the door shook slightly as someone knocked loudly.

"I'll go." Bryce got up and answered the door. A man dressed in fashionable clothes and a vibrant red hat was standing in front of him.

"Greetings." the man spoke politely.

"Ah, er... Greetings." Bryce was shocked at the sight of the man in obviously higher standing. What could he be doing in here?

"You are part of Lord Jean's serfs, are you not? Sir Philip will arrive in a few days, therefore all serfs will participate in making a great feast for his arrival." The man exclaimed shortly and left without waiting for an answer.

"A feast, eh? Well, we better get working then." The father rolled up his sleeves. The mother wore her apron and joined the father in preparing food. Bryce looked at them and also joined in, eager to help.

The feasts in Lord Jean's residence were not something one would experience often, but they were always welcome as the serfs got to eat more than usual as well. Lord Jean was one of the rarest kind of feudal lords in Gallica, treating his serfs like his guests rather than his slaves. This made them all the more eager to work on preparing the food, with respect and love.

Days later, the feast was done with great amount of effort. The tender meat and roasted vegetables, the soft, creamy cakes and sweet pies, lots of fruit and a wide variety of drinks to be enjoyed... It was certainly a wave of food that one couldn't tear their eyes away from.

As the serfs waited, Lord Jean came out of the castle and headed to the entrance encircled with stone walls. Sir Philip had arrived just a moment ago. He leapt off his horse and walked towards the lord.

"Good day to you, Sir Philip. We've been expecting you." Lord Jean smiled as he welcomed the knight into the castle. Sir Philip nodded and greeted him back, then the feast started with no further ado.

The nobles were set on a big table adorned with the wonderful products and silver cutlery. While they were eating, serf families were also enjoying the great food in a separate table for the commoners. Looking around the place, Bryce started to eat a small piece of steak he took on his plate. The meat was seasoned with fresh thyme and was lightly salted, and its texture was as soft as a steak could be. As he happily chewed on the piece of meat, Bryce felt someone tap on his shoulders. He turned around without paying much attention to it, but upon seeing who it was, he nearly choked on his food. The hand on his shoulder belonged to a tall man with long blond hair tied in a small ponytail, wearing simple yet expensive looking clothing.

"Hahaha, enjoying the food?" It was no other than Sir Philip himself.

"Ah, y-yes sir!" Bryce stood straight like a fence from fear.

"Relax, relax. I was thinking of getting some fresh air, why don't you join me?" The man pulled Bryce's arm as he looked helplessly at his parents, he hoped inside that he had done nothing wrong.

Away from the loud atmosphere of the feast, the grassy field was rather calm and refreshing with a light breeze and the smell of fresh grass flowing around. Sir Philip stopped dragging Bryce along and turned his face towards him. The clean face of the man still looked rough with both fresh and old scars.

"Er... Sir, may I ask... That um... Why-" Bryce stumbled around trying to form a sentence without stuttering and failed miserably.

"Right, right. It isn't for anything bad or something, so relax." The knight calmed the boy down.

"Th-then..."

"I'm explaining right now. I've heard about your little victory against... Against the-" He laughed uncontrollably. "The Knight of The Crimson Rose."

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"Hahaha, so it sounds just as ridiculous in Gallican!" Clyde chuckled.

"Pfft. Nothing escapes your hearing nowadays." Bryce smiled at him.

"Now, we're getting to the good part so keep your laughter for later."

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"Ah, I was just trying to sell the milk, Sir..." Bryce felt embarrassed. He didn't think such a small encounter would be heard anywhere.

"Well, what a resilient milkman you are!" Sir Philip laughed loudly.

"Let's get to the point. You have a hardened body from the serf work, you can handle yourself well too... I was thinking of getting a squire and you fit all the basic requirements."

"I... Huh?" Bryce paused for a second.

"Do you accept or not?" The knight asked.

"Well, I shall tell my parents about it... Sir." Bryce tried to talk formally.

"No need, I'll talk to them personally. I want to secure them as much as you do, tearing apart a family was never my objective." Sir Philip said in a serious tone.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"So that's how you became a knight?" Clyde asked excitedly.

"No, that is later. A squire is more like an apprentice." Bryce replied.

"How did your parents respond to it?" Clyde asked curiously.

"Well, listen and find out." Bryce continued talking.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"Bryce, my dear son... Are you going to be alright?" The mother asked in a concerned voice.

"I think so, mother. If I become a knight as well, then I can be more powerful and you two won't have to be that concerned about life. I... I want to make a better life for us." Bryce said with a blush on his face.

"That's my boy! Yer making us proud!" The father lightly jabbed at the shoulder of his son. "But take care of yourself, too. We don't want you getting too into it."

"Don't worry, father. I'll be fine. I wanted to be more free like this as well, this is just the job for me." Bryce smiled.

"Oh, my dear boy. Worrying about you is our job. We'll watch you from afar, always with you, sweetheart." The mother was on the verge of tears.

"Are you done packing your belongings? We're leaving soon." Sir Philip's deep voice rung in Bryce's ears.

"See you soon, Father, Mother!" The boy waved his hands while smiling in a bittersweet manner.

"Our little Bryce is growing up." The mother wiped the tears off her face with a handkerchief, then waved the handkerchief in the air with a sudden burst of energy.

"We love you!" The parents yelled in unison.

"And so on, I moved from our house back in Lord Jean's castle to Sir Philip's house and began my life as a squire." Bryce said, feeling rather nostalgic.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"Was his house nice?" Clyde asked immediately.

"That is what you're wondering out of anything else?" Bryce chuckled. "It wasn't that big, but it was comfortable."

"I see... When I first arrived in this hut, I thought it was lovely!" Clyde said happily.

"Really? You didn't even smile one bit, though."

"I did!.. Well, at least from the inside." The boy scratched his head.

"Anyway, where were we left? Ah, yes. I trained for several months alongside Sir Philip and learned how to use a sword..." Bryce continued the story.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

It has been a lot of time since Bryce had accepted the offer of Sir Philip. The young squire worked hard day and night and did his best to keep up. The knight had a very interesting training routine of climbing, running, sword and lance training, riding and much more. At first, Bryce was surprised at how many forms of training he had taken in such a short time but then he got used to it as well. Days were passing by very quickly, and he felt warmed up to his new mentor just as fast.

The daily training was an important part of Bryce's job but he was also expected to join Sir Philip in his journeys. Sir Philip was not like the other knights in Gallica, he helped other people, be it a serf or a lord, in daily basis. Bryce soon had his share of carrying water from the wells and rivers, catching sheep scattered away from herds, cutting wood and so on.

"W-wait a minute, that is basically doing the villager's jobs for them!" Clyde said, surprised.

"Well, we usually helped people that weren't capable of doing such chores." Bryce explained.

"But... I mean, that's not my point. Isn't Sir Philip a knight? Doesn't he have missions?" Clyde uttered with a confused expression on his face.

"Oh, that." Bryce coughed lightly. "Gallica was not the lawless land it had been since the last few years, but the royal family still had little to no influence. All knights were as good as turned rogue since nobody could give them orders."

"Ah, so that's why you had to make do with community work?" Clyde seemed to understand where his mentor came from.

"Yeah, I guess you could say so." Bryce nodded. "We did deal with lots of bandits though, so we weren't just doing chores around."

In one such day, the knight and his squire had just fought against a pack of thugs hiding in a small forest and won thanks to their combined effort. Bryce was getting really good at swordsmanship as he managed to disarm some of them with visible ease. However, he was still no match for Sir Philip who ended up defeating the majority of the group. Just as they were done, Sir Philip remembered something important.

"Ahh, I should have told you to remind this to me!" He said in a rather troubled manner, then he turned to his squire as he sheathed his sword. "Bryce, I've got to go to a nobleman's house for a visit. I completely forgot that was scheduled for today." He climbed onto his horse in a rush and started riding away from the boy.

"Er... What should I do?" Bryce yelled from the back. He was getting trained in horse riding and using lances, but he wasn't riding a horse into fights yet. His master had said that he was several months of training away for that. For this reason, he was stuck in the middle of the woods without a horse if the knight left by himself.

"I can't take you with me, so you should go ahead and ride a carriage. I've lent you money, haven't I?" Sir Philip said and he rode his ash coloured horse in the fields just outside the forest, towards his urgent appointment.

Bryce looked around feeling a little nervous and shrugged.

"I hope everything goes alright." He said to himself as he walked towards the shortest path that could take him to a town, where he could take a ride home. He thought it would be easy to find the way back, but with his master far gone and the nearly identical trees forming confusing pathways, the squire felt lost within the first minute. Then he decided to walk straight in one path to get out of the forest, as he could find the town later. Walking in the dense, lush forest, he started to feel slightly anxious. However, as he kept treading the soft, muddy soil, he slowly started to realize the anxiousness came from the strange feeling of being watched rather than the fear of being lost. He looked to his right and left, but nothing was in sight. Touching the hilt of his sword, he kept walking while alert.

Suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder from the back. Turning around swiftly, Bryce drew his sword instinctively, but there was nobody behind him. Scratching his head, he was about to unsheathe his sword when he was suddenly pushed into the ground. Falling in the muddy grass face first, Bryce rubbed his eyes trying to get the dirt out of them. As he was trying to comprehend what just happened, he heard a mischievous laugh, probably belonging to an older man.

"Not bad, squire! Or should I say Sir Bryce? Not if you keep being this sluggish."

Bryce finally managed to lift his face up and see the man in front of him. With messy, almost pitch black hair with a short beard, coupled with the hood that covered the most of his face and the green and gray coloured cape, this man could easily mix into the scenery. Even when he was standing still, the boy was having a difficult time trying to differentiate between the forest colours and the green fabric. In all honesty, Bryce had never seen a person like this before.

"What are you looking at, kid? Is a dirty old man like me just that fascinating?" The man laughed. He offered Bryce a hand and helped him up. Bryce felt slightly less afraid of the man when he saw him being so carefree, but his outfit and the scar across his face still made him look very scary.

"Er.. Um... What brings you here, sir?" Bryce tried to piece his words together, but it just felt awkward.

"Hahaha! Is this your way of saying 'What are you'?" The man snickered. "I'm afraid that is classified information. But I can tell you my name. I'm Ernest."

"Ah... Bryce, Sir." The boy bowed down slightly.

"I know. I've heard of you, kid." Uttered Ernest nonchalantly.

"Huh?" Bryce was surprised. Who would know about a simple squire, let alone this man?

"The brave milkman who beat the... The... Pfft..." Ernest laughed once again. "Who beat 'The Knight of The Crimson Rose'... That's you, yes?" He pointed at the boy.

"Why does everyone know about that?" Bryce was no less surprised than before.

"Not everyone, just a few people around the town. It's just that I'm skilled at gathering info." Ernest replied in an uninterested manner. "That being said, you do look like you have some potential in you. That's why I came here." He smiled.

"Um..." Bryce scratched his hair. He didn't know what to say. Just what was this man? An enemy? An ally? A crazy person? He didn't know at all.

"Well, you have a big build, but you seem like you can handle this kind of thing... Wanna give it a shot?" Ernest asked. Bryce had remotely no idea what he was talking about.

"What kind of thing, exactly?" He asked back.

"To avoid sight, of course! You might as well call it camouflage." The man answered as if it was the most basic knowledge in the world.

"My apologies. I was just about to leave for the town-"

"But can you?" Ernest interrupted the boy's sentence and put up a sly smile on his face.

"I might be lost, but... Ah, alright. I give in. Please teach me." Bryce sighed deeply.

"Glad you made the right choice. It's a win-win for you anyway. I'll lead you out of here once we're done." Said Ernest, then he started to prepare.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"A ranger taught you before you actually became one?" Clyde said, surprised.

"I know, very interesting, right?" Bryce smiled. "I didn't know what a ranger was back then, though."

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

Bryce was taught by the ranger on how to hide, mix into the surroundings and stay out of sight in what seemed to be a condensed version of the 5 year ranger training. However, the effort he spent and the aches in his body didn't feel that condensed to Bryce. After they were done, he could barely find the strength in himself to walk.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Ernest said with a smile on his face. He seemed to smile and laugh a lot but more than half of the time it was sarcastic and that made Bryce feel slightly annoyed. However, by this point he was assured the man was not malicious at all.

"I... Can I ask you a question, Sir?" Bryce asked meekly.

"It depends. Ask the question first." Ernest said as he looked straight towards the road.

"What... Is your job? Why did you teach me all this?" The boy asked, feeling very curious.

"I won't answer that first question, but for the second one... I've been watching around for a while and I happened to stumble upon you. I just felt like you needed to know these skills. It might just save your life one day." He smiled once again.

"W-well... Thank you, Sir." Bryce said, kind of embarrassed.

"Also, drop out the 'Sir' already, sheesh!" The man looked slightly annoyed.

"Sorry, Si- Er... I mean..."

Ernest sighed as Bryce couldn't form a sentence for a few seconds.

"Here. Just walk straight from here and you will find a pathway to the nearest town." He stopped in his tracks and disappeared from clear view.

"E-ernest?" Bryce looked around in surprise.

"I'll see you around, Bryce. Don't forget, I'm always watching." Ernest's voice rung in his ears ominously as he gave up on locating him. It was time to head back home after this interesting encounter.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"And... After that, it is mostly training and usual, boring life. You wouldn't want to listen to that, right?" Bryce stretched and yawned silently.

"W-what, are you going to finish it right here?" Clyde asked in a disappointed tone.

"Huh? Heavens, no!" Bryce chuckled. "I haven't even told you about Cecile yet. I'll just skip a little and get to the good part."

"Whew... That's a relief, I was wondering about that." Clyde smiled. His eyes were drooping but he was too excited to be asleep. Perhaps Bryce's idea of a bedtime story had backfired badly.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

As several months passed by, the clumsy squire slowly became into a dashing, skilled young man thanks to the intense training of his master. Sir Philip was proud of who Bryce had become, as he hadn't only improved his body but his personality and his mind as well. He didn't feel so afraid of everyone now and he was also much more like what he was as a ranger now, his kindness shining through among friends, his fearsome look scaring away the foe...

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"You brag far too much." Said Clyde with a flat face.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

He was also still inexperienced in many fields, but what he learned from Ernest already made him much more versatile and put him much higher on the pedestal compared to other knights.

However, growing up also meant having more responsibilities. With Sir Philip away for a duty of his own, Bryce was expected to take care of his place and protect the people around by himself, until the blond knight returned.

Deciding to patrol around the residence of the knight, he rode his horse, which he could ride properly now, towards the plains nearby the castle of Sir Philip.

The gray walls were reminiscent of Lord Jean's castle. Bryce felt nostalgic as he recalled he hadn't sent a letter to his parents this month. He came to see them once in a while, but he barely found any time to do so lately. He etched it in his mind to visit them later as well.

His mind deep in thought, he almost didn't notice the voices coming from a nearby pathway. The path was mainly used by horse carriages operated by merchants, so Bryce was surprised to see multiple people without horses standing in the middle of the road. He decided to stay hidden for a while to assess the situation. Jumping off his horse, he pulled a green cape over him and moved just like the cunning ranger had taught him to reach a large rock right beside the road. To his luck, the green plains were almost the same shade of green as his cape. He assumed that he wasn't spotted as he watched the suspicious group from a few meters away.

"Come on lass, we do this the easy way or the hard way!" A malicious voice rung out. Bryce slowly peeked at the scene from behind the rock. The voice belonged to a large man with a rusty knife in his hand.

"B-but I haven't sold a single flower today! I don't have anything to give you..." The woman in front him said meekly. She took a few steps back feeling afraid but for every step she took, the man took one more.

"It doesn't have to be money." The man smiled in a creepy manner. The young woman was about to be backed into a corner.

Bryce had seen enough. He quickly climbed on his horse and rode it full force towards the brigand. The lance on the horse's saddle appeared in his hands so quickly it practically flew into them.

"Leave her be!" Bryce yelled as he grabbed the lance tightly. His arrival didn't seem to scare the man. He was likely confusing the skilled squire with the fake knights and stuck up nobles he was so used to scare away by one mere wave of his knife. However, the smile on his face disappeared as he noticed the young man on the horse was not going to stop as there was just a few meters between them. Before he knew it, the bandit was knocked off his feet by one strike of Bryce's lance. Had he wanted to, he could easily impale the evildoer with the pole, but he couldn't find it in himself to mercilessly slaughter someone while the helpless woman was watching. He got off his mount and quickly went to bind the man with the leather strips he took from the bag attached to the horse's saddle. As he was busy with that, the young woman tried to assess the situation, feeling both very scared and dazzled.

Being done with the job, Bryce bound the man on the thickest tree he could find and returned to the woman's side. As he lifted his face up to see her face, he noticed this was the first time he did so, being caught up in the heat of the moment.

The confused woman's face lighted up when she saw the squire walking towards her. She was apparently excited as she quickly attempted to fix the golden locks of her hair messed up from the confrontation. Failing to do so, she instead tightened the old head scarf she tied in a knot right above her head to keep her hair in place.

"Are you okay?" Bryce asked, concerned.

"Ah, yes Sir... Uhm..." She replied with a flustered face.

"Hm? Oh, you don't need to bother with the 'Sir's and 'Lord's. My name is Bryce, I am a simple squire." The young man smiled with sincerity.

"R-really? A squire? Your face looked so confident I thought that you were a knight." The young woman said with a surprised face. "And... Thanks for saving me, I am really grateful to be saved by such a nice person."

"Ah, it is alright, I'm just doing my duty." Bryce felt flustered, but managed to not blush. He scratched his medium length hair instead, almost nervously curling it around his finger without realizing. "Say, what brings a young lady over this merchant route?" He asked curiously.

"Oh, I was trying to sell these flowers... I am a flower girl... A flower-seller? Yes, a flower-seller." She shyly lifted the handmade basket, which was filled with colourful flowers, with two hands.

Bryce cheerfully peeked at the basket. There were many flowers in it, but none of them were familiar to him.

"What beautiful petals they have! Such charming flowers you're selling, Miss flower girl." He smiled gently.

"Oh, I didn't even tell you my name, so sorry! My name is Cecile." The flower-seller said.

"Nice to meet you, Cecile. You should be wary around these paths, lots of bandits are laying about." Bryce slightly bowed and walked over to ride on his horse.

"Oh, I... Well... Um..." She tried to form a sentence as Bryce patiently waited for her. "E-excuse me, but could you... Could you please accompany me?" She said in an embarrassed, squeaky voice.

"Well, of course!" The squire grinned. "It might be nice to keep the merchant path clear as well. Hop on!" He pointed to the saddle of the horse.

"Huh? Ah, it's okay, I can walk..." Cecile tried to object, but her sentence was cut short by the young man's laughter.

"I don't think you can outrun a horse, Cecile. Don't be shy, it's the duty of a knight to help people." He helped her onto the horse. "Ready? You better find something sturdy to hold onto. This pal of mine is a bit rowdy." The squire said as the horse sparked up and bolted with immense speed without any warning. Taken by surprise, the only sturdy thing Cecile could hold onto ended up being the tall squire's waist. Startled, Bryce tried to keep his cool, but this time he couldn't help but blush a little. Little did he know, the flower girl behind him had already changed into a bright red colour not unlike a tomato. She felt lucky that Bryce couldn't turn around to see her face.

It took her a minute to realize, but the journey towards the end of the merchant route had already been over. She looked around and took Bryce's hand again to get off the horse. She had never thought that she would ever reach the end of the merchant route as she always walked to there every time, finding her way to an inn once she was tired of walking.

"This is the last stop, Cecile. Was it fun riding a horse?" The squire smiled warmly.

"Yes, it was amazing! Thank you for everything, Bryce. Now I can find plenty of people to sell my flowers." She smiled back.

"Now that you mention it... Would you mind selling me a flower as well?" Bryce asked curiously.

"Of course! Let's see... Your favourite is the white lily, right?" Cecile suddenly took on an energetic personality.

"Well, I've never thought about that before... Why did you assume that?" Bryce asked, somewhat surprised.

"It's my intuition! I spent a lot of time selling flowers so I can guess well." Cecile said as she handed over a white lily to the confused squire.

"That's very interesting." Bryce took out a golden coin from his pouch and placed it on the flower-seller's hand.

"H-h-huh? Wait a minute, this is far too-" Cecile panicked seeing the glittering metal in her hands.

"Consider it a parting gift. See you around, Cecile!" Bryce didn't wait as he rode off to the horizon. Cecile stood there for quite a while, looking at him disappear. What were the odds of meeting such a nice person in this dangerous place? She smiled. Selling flowers was her whole life ever since she was born into the streets, but now she felt like something new has made her feel just as joyful.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

Clyde sighed without saying a word. The blue eyes of the boy looked deeply at the wooden floorboards.

"Is something the matter, Clyde?" Bryce asked, a little concerned.

"It's just that... That lily was the one you always used to carry with yourself, right?" Clyde meekly turned his face to his mentor.

"Well, yes. It was." Bryce could already see where the conversation was headed to.

"I... I just realized I didn't apologize for destroying it. It was so horrible, even if..."

"You were not in control at that time." Bryce cut off the words of the apprentice. "Besides, I think I am better off without it. My memories of her is not limited to a dried flower, every time I think of her, I feel that she still exists, somewhere within. I will be the one to keep her existence known, so I don't need the flowers anymore. Don't feel bad, okay?" Bryce wiped the newly surfacing tears off Clyde's face.

"I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a sweet moment, you telling your life story and all." He said, wiping his face by himself.

"Well, I still have much to tell. You didn't even meet Mary yet, did you?" Bryce smiled in a bittersweet manner.

"No... But I want to." Clyde forced a smile as well, but then dropped it and lightly laid his head on Bryce's shoulder. "I'm getting drowsy, though... Don't make it boring, okay?"

"Roger that, let's move on!" Bryce said eagerly.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

One day, the squire was on a regular patrol along with the knight. The plains were coloured a fair yellow like hay fields as autumn came around. Brown leaves were getting caught in a small whirlwind, spiraling upwards while making a soothing sound. Riding their horse around the castle, Bryce could almost fall asleep with the gentle breeze blowing into their faces. However, seeing a weird, green shape over the road quickly got the squire back on his senses.

"Sir, over there..." He pointed his finger towards the lumpy figure laying right where the road curved downwards with the farm fields visible on the horizon.

"Is that..." Sir Philip squinted as he put his hand over his forehead to block out the sunlight. "Hurry!" He rushed down the road with his horse. Riding the animal with mastery, the curved road was no obstacle for the blond knight. Bryce followed right after, albeit slower.

The green shape twitched slightly once the squire and knight stood over him, having jumped off their horses. Bryce slowly crouched down and lifted the green cloak off the man, revealing the ranger Ernest underneath. The black haired ranger had a deep wound on his thigh.

"Ernest!" Bryce yelled out in surprise.

"Heh. Long time no see, kid. Kind of... Kind of embarrassing to be seen like this." The man said, whimpering and pausing between words. Despite this, he looked like he wasn't bothered by the wound at all. In fact, he was chattier than when they met for the first time.

"Bryce, do you know this man?" Sir Philip asked in a questioning tone.

"Before that, let's carry him inside!" Bryce returned to the reality of the situation. The knight nodded and they picked the ranger up to carry him towards one of the serfs' house. Bryce was about to suggest going to the castle instead, but it would be hard to climb the curved road with a fragile person, even if they used the horses.

"Frankly, I was lucky to be found. Thanks for the help, kid." The ranger spoke as he laid on an old bed the knight had prepared. He didn't want to order the serfs around while they were busy making a living in the harvest season. Once a healer that arrived from the castle cleaned the wound and wrapped it, the tense situation around the room was gone. According to the healer, Ernest would likely be able to walk it off after a week of rest or so.

"Why don't you stay over in my castle, ranger? It will be easier for you to make a recovery." Sir Philip spoke calmly, but as soon as the word 'ranger' got out of his mouth, Ernest got a surprised expression for a small moment before turning it to a smirk.

"So you know, eh?" He said with eyes that looked rather threatening.

"Yes, I spent some time in Araluen myself. And who could not recognize a ranger after they first see one?" The knight had no change in the tone of his voice.

"Sir, what is a 'ranger'? I'm afraid I have no idea." Bryce asked, confused.

"You met this man before, no? Didn't he mix into shadows and act ominously all the way through?" Sir Philip crossed his arms as he answered the question.

"Well, now that you've mentioned it... I think he did, Sir." Bryce said.

"Cut it short, will you? We're the spies that secure the entirety of Araluen." Ernest chimed in unexpectedly.

"That is the closest explanation for sure. He's a part of the Ranger Corps of Araluen." Sir Philip nodded. "Anyway, will you accept my offer? I don't think you will be able to continue whatever mission you were on in this state."

"Heh. You got me, i suppose." Ernest said in defeat. "I'll stay over and teach that squire of yours a few more tricks, perhaps."

Over the next few days, the ranger made his recovery in the comfortable castle, and got back up on his feet pretty early, despite the protests of the healers. All along the way, he taught Bryce about the basic skills of a ranger, watching the curious expression on his face with joy. For a man that was supposed to be a spy, he was sure chatty, at least for the young squire. In the final days of his recovery, he called Bryce secretly in the middle of the night. Seeing the man appear suddenly in front of him, he woke up, startled.

"Psst. Hey, kid. Come with me for a moment." He called Bryce outside.

The autumn breeze was stronger than usual, and the land was painted in a dark blue colour beneath the light of the full moon. Bryce felt a bit chilly, taken away from the warm embrace of the soft blanket into the cold plains outside.

"I'm leaving today." Ernest said simply and clearly. "You've been a nice student, so this is my farewell present to you. If you ever make it to Araluen, I'll make sure to open the doors to you and make you into a true ranger." He smiled, but it was barely visible from under his hood.

"A ranger... Me?" Bryce said in a surprised manner.

"Do you see anyone else here, kid?" Ernest said as if he was scolding him, but Bryce couldn't help but get a friendly feeling in his tone. "The choice is yours, but I say that it would be a waste to not become one of us."

"I..." Bryce hesitated to say anything. "Farewell, Ernest."

"So long, kid." The ranger had already disappeared, almost as if he dissolved into thin air.

"So he left? Figures." Sir Philip shook his face once he heard of the news. Bryce was feeling strangely deep in thought ever since Ernest returned to Araluen, so he looked at his master with a blank expression on his face.

"Do you have something in your mind, boy?" The knight asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh... Nothing, Sir." Bryce briefly returned to his senses.

"Do you want to go on patrol? You might sort out your thoughts in the open field with fresh air. I'm not really a thinking man myself, so I doubt I can help you." Sir Philip said, speaking in a serious manner.

"Thanks, Sir. I shall do that." Bryce left in a short moment as he answered nonchalantly.

Absent-mindedly riding his horse, Bryce looked towards the horizon as he proceeded to leave the castle, getting closer to the merchant route to start the patrol. His heart was still stuck between following the words of Ernest, and staying in Gallica and living his life as it was now. Inhaling the fresh air to clear his mind, the squire sighed and kept advancing through the road.

As he looked forward, he saw a small figure on the path running towards him. Squinting a little and leaning on forward, he could see the blonde flower-seller with an excited, yet sorrowful look on her face.

"Bryce! Bryce!" She stopped suddenly and took a few moments panting and catching her breath. Meanwhile, Bryce had left his horse and was standing in front of her.

"Cecile, is something wrong?" Bryce asked, concerned.

"No, but I wanted to see you again." She looked at the squire and smiled innocently.

"That doesn't look like just an 'I miss you' face, does it?" He questioned the girl.

"Ah, I mean... Well... Oh, nothing gets past you!" She said, flustered. Bryce smiled at her.

"I've got spare time. Why don't you talk about what's making you so upset?" He proposed. Cecile nodded, making a strange, squeaky noise.

The two of them sat on the hay coloured grass side by side and enjoyed the breeze going through their hair.

"So, what's the matter?" Bryce opened up the conversation again.

"I... Um... It's just that... I've come to say goodbye." Cecile said, looking desperate.

"Huh? Why? We've bumped into each other quite a lot here, so I'm sure we'll meet again." Bryce said with an optimistic tone.

"No, I'm leaving. Leaving Gallica." Cecile said, looking away from the squire

"Leaving? Er... That's..." Bryce didn't want to obstruct the young woman, so despite feeling conflicted with her leaving, he didn't say anything.

"Thanks to all your help, I've collected enough to travel back to Araluen. It has been my dream to visit there. Here's a little bit rowdy and hard to live on your own, after all." She giggled melancholically.

"That's very nice, Cecile." Bryce also smiled in the same way. "But... Why do you look so sorrowful saying that? Shouldn't you be happy?"

"Oh, I am happy... It's just that... There's been something I was waiting for this whole time." She moved around uncomfortably.

"What is it?" Bryce asked curiously.

"I... I was waiting for... Well..." Cecile tried to form a sentence, feeling flustered. "Did you ever wonder why we always bumped into each other?" She suddenly asked.

"Er... No? Why?" The squire asked back.

"It was because... I wasn't just taking the road for selling flowers, I was... I was just hoping I'd meet you." Cecile like she was at the verge of crying.

Bryce paused for a moment hearing her sentence.

"Every day, I hoped that you'd notice me, staring into your eyes, hoping that you would... You know... I... I just like you so much." She tried to conclude.

"Oh, I like you a lot too, Cecile. You've been a great friend to me." Bryce smiled.

"N-not like that, I... I 'like' like you... That is to say... I... Um... I love you, Bryce!" Cecile's face was painted a bright red. Bryce's face also became a light tint of pink in a moment.

"Oh! Th-That's... Um... Er... That's... Nice." He blurted out in visible shock.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"Pfft... Ahahaha! 'That's nice'? That's how you answered?" Clyde burst into laughter. Bryce not so gently elbowed the ginger haired boy.

"Heh, We'll see how you handle it, too." He said, half laughing.

"Wh-what, I don't have anyone like that..." Clyde said, blushing.

"Oh, are you certain?" The mentor struck a meaningful gaze at his adoptive son.

"U-um, can you continue, please? I really wonder what happened next!" Clyde almost squeaked in embarrassment. Bryce chuckled, satisfied.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"Wh-what do you mean, 'That's nice'? Bryce?" Cecile asked excitedly, her heart banging as fast as possible, almost ready to burst out of her chest. She could almost hear the young man's heartbeats, as well.

"I-I... I mean... I love you, too. A lot." Bryce replied meekly, still a bit startled.

"Ah, I'm so relieved!" Cecile shed a tear clutching her chest, feeling her heartbeats as she sobbed. "Ever since you bought that flower from me, you've bought my heart with it... I didn't want to leave it back here in Gallica."

"Cecile..." Bryce came back to his senses. "I have a surprise for you, but first..."

"Huh? A surprise? What are you talking about, Bryce?" Cecile felt curious, wiping her tears off.

"You really, truly love me, yes?" Bryce held both of her hands in his own. The little hands of the flower-seller felt so cold to him, but right now, he was feeling warm enough to heat both of them up.

"Of course! Of course I love you." Cecile looked directly into the squire's dark brown eyes. "If I could, I would live inside your warm gaze just to feel your eyes on me at all times..."

"Then... Will you marry me?" Bryce blurted out instantly.

"Huh!? B-but you... Aren't you staying in Gallica? You know I would accept in a heartbeat, but..." Cecile said, confused.

"I've been thinking about this for a while now... I've been looking for a change. Perhaps it lies within Araluen? Regardless, I've made my choice." He said back. Finally, the clouds inside his mind and heart have been dissipated.

"Oh, Bryce! I-I promise to be the best wife I can be for you!" Cecile suddenly embraced Bryce. Startled, he slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"I promise too! We'll be together from now on."

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"Aww, that's so sweet." Said Clyde, slightly blushing.

"Isn't it? Think about how I felt. It was like I was about to turn into charcoal." Bryce laughed. "I still miss her innocent gaze." He looked away and sighed.

"Oh... I'm sorry, Bryce. I just made you relive that pain, didn't I?" The boy apologized.

"It's okay, Clyde. I was the one who wanted to tell about it. Besides, why should I be afraid of my memories of bliss? I'm glad I lived through all of them, and that I'm able to share them with you." Bryce pat his apprentice's back gently.

"Ehehe..." Clyde smiled in a slightly melancholic manner. "In that case... I'm glad I'm getting to know you better, too."

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"I've known for a while you wanted this." Sir Philip reacted to Bryce's request to leave Gallica rather mildly.

"R-really? For how long, Sir?"

"As soon as that ranger left. You've got your mind set on being one of them, right?" Sir Philip crossed his arms.

"Well, yes... I-It's not like I don't like being a squire, Sir! Just that-" Bryce said nervously before getting cut off by the knight.

"I know, I know. You're longing to be free, aren't you?" Sir Philip said wisely as Bryce nodded in agreement.

"Then, just before you go..." He drew his blade from its sheath. Bryce felt slightly nervous. "Kneel down." He said and watched as Bryce did so.

Touching his shoulders lightly with the sword, he raised it high.

"From now on, you are no longer a squire, but a fellow knight. Hereby, you shall be known as The Knight of The White Lily." He helped the new knight up and put his hands on his shoulders.

"Good luck, Bryce." He looked like he was about to shed a single drop of tear.

"You too, Sir. Thanks for all you've done for me." Bryce tried to bow down, but the knight stopped him and gave him a hug instead. Just this once, the formalities could wait, both of them thought as they bid farewell to each other.

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

"Sir Philip really was what you were to me, wasn't he?" Clyde said, feeling emotional.

Bryce nodded. "Exactly. I still haven't lost contact with him, even though he is a retired old man now. The bond between us was surely stronger than the one between Gordon and I."

"Gordon? What does he have to do with this?" The boy asked curiously.

"Oh, have I never told you? Well, let's get through it briefly, then."

**°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°**

After the tearful goodbye, Bryce and Cecile left Gallica to live in Araluen. Bryce's family would rather stay in Gallica, so he had talked to them and promised to send letters even more frequently. Normally, both of them would object to him leaving, but the years had changed them so: Now they trusted in their son no matter how concerned they were.

After arriving in Araluen, The first thing Bryce did was to join the Ranger Corps as per Ernest's suggestion. Accepted into the Corps despite being slightly over the age to become an apprentice, he became the apprentice of who would later be the Head Ranger of the Corps, Gordon. The strict man was no less adamant on the new apprentice, and soon shaped him into a skilled enough ranger, without pampering him at all. As such, the relationship between an apprentice and a mentor, this time built much later, was much less personal to both of them.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"That was horribly short. Did nothing really happen in between?" Clyde asked, somewhat disappointed.

"No, not really. Well, that Shieldless Knight we fought in the cult and a few more knights running after fame may have fought with me, but nothing else. I found them too repetitive, but I can tell if you'd like." Bryce explained shortly.

"No thanks, I've had enough of fake knighthood for one night." Clyde shook his head.

"You just heard one." Bryce looked at him directly.

"...and that was enough for one night." answered Clyde.

"Haha, I see." Bryce nodded.

"So, not much left after that... You know what happened more or less."

"But you never told me how you've had Mary." Clyde said with a straight face.

"Oh, well... Er... That's... Maybe when you're older?" Bryce said, looking somewhat disturbed.

"N-no, that's not what I... When! When you've had Mary, is what I'm asking! Ah, this is so embarrassing..." Clyde covered his face, feeling flustered.

"Oh... I see. We've had her after I completed my training, so she'd be around your age or a bit older, I suppose." Bryce quickly returned to his normal, cheery tone.

"You think we would be good friends?" Clyde asked, looking forward as his eyes started getting heavier.

"You'd be like siblings, I bet." Bryce smiled warmly.

Clyde yawned and felt his sleepiness closing in.

"Are we sleepy enough now? Good to know my story didn't go to waste." Bryce chuckled and stood up to let the boy lie on the bed. Looking at him as he assumed he was fast asleep, he approached the door of the small room.

"Hey, Bryce... One more question." Clyde said from the bed with a tired voice.

"What is it, Clyde?" Bryce turned his head towards him.

"Who's this Ernest? Why haven't I ever seen him with you before?" He asked. Bryce's face looked a bit worn out, almost frightened as soon as he heard the question.

"It's... We were close, of course. Jacob, Ernest and I... Merlin wasn't with us yet."

"...but?" Clyde looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Shortly, we had an argument and crossed roads. You can't get along with everyone, right?" He tried to force a smile. "But... If you ever meet him, please don't think of him as a bad person. I don't want to affect you like so. You alone should decide how you feel against anyone."

"Dad... You're really thoughtful." Clyde closed his eyes as he gave him a half smile.

"Good night... son." Bryce also smiled, then he got closer to the door, to leave Clyde by himself.

"Wait, one more thing!" The boy said in a hurry. "Let's visit Cecile and Mary next time."

Bryce nodded. "Then on the way, we should visit your uncle too."

"Are you done now?" He said patiently.

"Heheh, I guess so. Good night." Clyde turned his back and instantly fell asleep. Bryce finally closed the door and went back to his own room. How many hours has it been? Regardless, it was nice to get some family time after a long time.

The stars were burning brightly up in the sky. Bryce gazed upon them through the clear window in his room.

"Cecile, Mary... I'll never regret these memories. Wherever you are, I'll carry you two in my heart."

"We love you, too!"

Bryce suddenly lifted his face up. Did he just hear the wind, or was it... He shrugged and slowly got into bed. Running his mouth for too long must have been tiring for him. He closed his eyes and soon started to sleep as well. A content smile was fixed on his face as he gave a relaxed breath.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.****.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.****.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

**Hello again, I know it is a little late, but I've returned with the final sidestory! Shortly, the second half of Silent Ranger will follow. Keep on watch, and thanks for reading!**


	25. Chapter 23: Ancient Horrors

"Stop right there! King's Ranger!" A loud and deep voice rung out in the dark forest. Feeling all tense from the maze-like forest cutting their escape, the short man with a bandana on his visibly bald head looked around as the shadows of night closed on him and his pack of bandits.

"H-heh, and what if we don't?" He tried to act natural, but the fear of being impaled with a large arrow at any moment could be seen from his eyes.

"I ain't scared of a sissy ginger and what, his pet bear?" The bandit laughed, but his allies were not as quickly relaxed as he was. "Laugh, ya idiots!" He yelled, forcing the others to laugh in an unenthusiastic way as well.

"Are we really doing this?" The ginger haired apprentice said with an annoyed voice as he turned his hidden face towards his mentor.

"Well, we don't have any other choice, I suppose." The long haired ranger replied calmly.

"Right. Gale, let's go!" Clyde jumped into a nearby bush and reappeared with his trusty, chestnut coated horse.

"I guess we can't handle this many of them. Let's retreat!" He said, subtly winking at the tall ranger who used his cloak to disappear from clear view in a moment.

Losing track of the other ranger, the bandits got courage from Clyde's words and chased the mounted ranger. Clyde purposefully commanded Gale to run in a steady, slow pace to let them feel like they were catching up.

Suddenly, the bandana wearing leader of the pack was hit from behind with a heavy, metallic object. The rest of the bandits panicked as soon as they noticed their leader was down and descended into chaos.

Clyde quickly took out the violent members lashing out at Bryce and himself, drawing his arrows while trying to be as calm as possible. The recurve bow shot out a few arrows, all of which hit their targets.

Coming from behind with his own steed, Bryce caught the remaining bandits who tried to run away and signaled his apprentice to come help him tie them up. With the small skirmish leading to an end, both of them sighed in relief.

"I swear, Greenfield used to be much calmer." Said Clyde as he inspected his bow out of boredom.

"You should hear the other Fiefs, Jacob and Glade should be going crazy by now." Bryce crouched to pick up his striker from the ground. As the weapon was most suitable for a person like him, it had quickly became into his most used equipment.

"Glade hasn't written to me for a while now. I wonder if that Genovesan conflict opened up again?" Clyde asked curiously.

"I doubt that, it has been a long time now. He's probably busy with work." Bryce said. "So we better get busy too. Can't let them have all the fun for themselves, right?" He added jokingly to lighten up the mood.

"Okay, let's keep on our night patrol, then!" Clyde replied, full of energy. He was now used to the more darker ends of his job, being able to spring up to his cheerful personality in daily work. It has been three years since he met his mentor, after all.

As the duo rode their horses towards the exit of the dark forest, Bryce's horse, Pfeil, suddenly warned his rider with a twitching ear.

"Hm? What is it, Pfeil?" The ranger looked around to see if anything was off, but couldn't notice a difference.

"Now it's Gale... There's probably something off about this." Clyde anxiously stated as Gale's ears started perking up as well.

Convinced, Bryce readied himself and sharply analyzed his surroundings. "Stay on guard, Cly-"

Before he could finish his words, the bushes in the dark forest rustled wildly.

Reflexively, the rangers jumped off their horses as they galloped away to a safe spot.

The rustling got louder and out came a towering, shadowy shape that stood in front of the rangers.

"Aah! Wh-what is that?" Clyde asked in terror. His face went white as a sheet. The monster in front of them was like something that came out of a folk tale. A tall body that easily towers over Bryce, a head that belongs to a dog, glued onto a humanoid torso covered with hair all over, it was hard to believe it was real.

"Hush!" Bryce silenced his apprentice. He signaled him to stay still and try to blend into the view. That way, they could examine this new entity before them. Clyde silently gazed at his mentor. Bryce was surely just as scared as he was, right? He was sure the tall ranger was trying to keep his cool as well. He took a deep breath and released it silently.

The monster looked around as it sniffed the air like a canine animal. Turning his head right and left, it locked its glaring red eyes onto Clyde. The young ranger didn't flinch and tried his best to not move a muscle. The monster got closer and closer, walking towards the boy steadily. It wasn't too long until the distance between them was barely a meter long. Just as it was about to take another step, a sharp, heavy arrow flew at the torso of the monster, knocking it down. Bryce had used the time his apprentice bought to make a decisive blow.

"Clyde, are you okay?" The ranger practically flew over to the apprentice. Clyde was breathing heavily as he was still processing what had just happened.

Suddenly, the monster rose up to throw a clawed punch at the tall ranger. Caught by surprise, Bryce got knocked off his feet.

"B-Bryce!" Clyde yelled out instantly. Seeing the humanoid looking at him with its resentful eyes, he quickly threw his throwing knife at its thigh. However, the sharp weapon could barely get through the thick fur of the monster. Clyde quickly understood why Bryce's shot didn't end up killing it. Looking beside him, he saw his mentor lying on the ground, unconscious. If he didnt do anything quickly, perhaps the creature would try to eat him? The ginger haired apprentice shuddered at the thought.

"H-hey, hairball! Over here!" He yelled in front of the monster to divert his attention. Seeing as the monster started coming running at him, the plan has worked. Unfortunately, this was as far as Clyde could think, and now he had a big, bloodthirsty monster after him.

Running as fast as he could, he went to the only other allies he had at the moment: The horses.

"Gale, Pfeil, Help!" He yelled out in fear. There was no time for elaborate ranger horse tricks, everyone's life was at stake.

The chestnut coated horse charged at the monster and kicked it hard on the torso right where the arrow was planted. The thick arrow broke inside the flesh of the humanoid, making it writhe in pain. Seeing as the smoke cream coloured horse charge at him as well, the monster ran away in fear.

Clyde sighed deeply as if to release all of is built up anxiety. "Thanks, both of you." He briefly pet the horses individually before running back towards his mentor.

"Bryce, Bryce!"

"I'm alright." Said a deep voice coming from the ground. "Just help me up, will you?"

Clyde offered him his hand as he got up, clenching his gut where he was hit.

"You need to get that treated... Let's just go to the hut!" said Clyde, feeling concerned.

"It's fine, I just need to... Oof..." Bryce couldn't finish his words as he clutched his wound tighter, panting. "We need to tell about this to everyone... Every single ranger in the Corps."

"Okay, but you come first... Come on, I'll help you up the horse." Clyde insisted. Bryce didn't have any strength to argue otherwise. The couple of rangers rode back home as the dark forest cast its shadows on the path as if the morning was never going to come.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"It was so scary, seeing a monster like that... Just what was it?" Clyde was talking to his mentor as the man laid on his bed while the apprentice searched for an appropriate medicine for his wound.

"I've never seen anything like that, either. I'm afraid we will have to investigate for its whereabouts if we fail to identify it." Bryce answered with a tired voice.

"Good thing the horses were around. I don't know why, but it ran off as soon as it got a clear view of them." Clyde went on as he decided on one of the salves, looking at the clear fluid with his focused blue eyes.

"That's one thing to report, as well. Have you sent the letters I've given you?" Bryce asked monotonously.

"Yes, you wanted them to be given to the couriers, right?" Clyde cleaned his hands with a clean cloth and approached his mentor with the salve in his hand.

"We need to have an early gathering about this. I really doubt that monster was just wandering about." Bryce tried to speak calmly.

"Um... I've found the salve. Can you take off the vest?" Clyde said as he put some of the salve on his hands. Bryce took off the ranger vest and the shirt under it to allow Clyde to apply the salve. Clyde looked a bit disturbed as he saw the large, purple bruise on the ranger's stomach.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest? I can go in your stead." Clyde offered, concerned about the man's health.

"No, no, I'll be fine. I've got a first class healer with me, after all... Oww..." He gasped as the cold salve touched his fragile, bruised skin.

"Okay, just stay like this for a while, than lay down. I'll go make breakfast, you need some energy to go on." Clyde uttered in hurry as he swiftly left the room.

"Aren't you worrying a bit too much? It's barely even morning, Clyde."

"Of course I'm worrying a bit too much, you're my father!" The boy came in carrying a wooden tray with a cup of coffee and a toasted bread with jam on it.

"Not your real dad, though." Bryce grabbed the cup of black coffee and took a sip.

"You're just as good as. Well, even better." Clyde replied as he put the tray on an empty spot on the bed.

Suddenly, the oak door of the hut was knocked on.

"I'll answer it!" Clyde left momentarily, only to return almost instantly.

"There's news from the Corps!"

"Looks like we weren't the only ones seeing these monsters around. Apparently, nearly everyone sent a letter to Gordon about this, so he says we are to gather up early, just as you said we should." Clyde summarized the papers in his hands to his mentor on the bed.

"Yes, I've guessed as much. Seems like this will be a long ride, Clyde. You ready for another gathering?" Bryce tried to pick up the spirits of the young ranger.

"Of course! I can't wait to meet everyone again, even if it's an emergency." Clyde smiled innocently.

Bryce nodded, smiling back. "Well, let's see what Merlin and the others have to say about all this." He started to get up.

"W-wait, what are you doing?" Clyde tried to stop him.

"Well, your salve worked wonders. I'm raring to go already! Let's get ourselves ready." Bryce tried to act tough, but Clyde, especially after his numerous classes with Mark the healer, could easily see that he was still wounded.

"Okay... But still, take care." He sighed deeply.

The duo was getting ready for the gathering, the third time for Clyde. Was it going to be different this time? Seems likely, thought the apprentice. Somewhere inside him, he felt somewhat anxious. Looking at the cloudy sky through the large window in the living room, he hoped for the best.


	26. Chapter 24: The Gathering of Decisions

The sky was clear and bright as if to mock the dark atmosphere formed by the mysterious creatures supposedly appearing left and right. As they rode on their horses to the newly set gathering spot, Bryce thought to himself that out of anything, this situation would be the one thing he couldn't guess was coming.

"It's kind of funny, isn't it?" Clyde talked, breaking the silence. Bryce turned his face towards him as his train of thought dissipated. "The gathering spot is different, but it's always somewhere in a forest."

"I guess so." The mentor smiled. "Then again, most of our lives are spent in forests anyway. Would you like to gather up on a mountain instead?"

"No way!" Clyde laughed nervously. "Not with all these monsters around, let alone wolves and all that."

"I'll protect you from anything, wolves or otherwise!" Gale chimed in cheerfully.

"Me too! You two can count on us." Pfeil joined in.

"Well, it might be better if we could handle it ourselves." Bryce snickered as he caressed the wound around his stomach.

"Ah... How is the bruise now?" Clyde asked with a nervous look on his freckled face.

"It's fine, it's fine!" Bryce said with an unchanging expression.

"You're lying." The apprentice replied coldly.

"To make you feel better."

"It doesn't work."

"Would you rather see me writhing in pain? I can do that as well."

"Yes. I mean, no... It's just... Stop it!" Clyde rustled his hair in annoyance. "You should have been resting at home!"

"Clyde, it's fine. Don't you know how many of us are attending despite our condition?" Bryce argued back. "Off the top of my head, I can count at least ten people out of the fifty of us who also should have stayed, but this is important. I promise I'll rest properly once we return."

"D-do you promise?" Clyde asked nervously.

"Of course." The mentor nodded.

"Okay... But you will rest, right?" He still didn't seem to be convinced.

"Hahaha... Clyde, it's my job to be worried about you, not the other way around." Bryce smiled brightly. Clyde turned his head the other way, feeling conflicted.

At last, the gathering spot was right in front of them. At least, the map in Bryce's hands said so.

"Alright, beyond this wall of trees is the spot. Are you feeling tense, Clyde?" He asked as he leapt off his horse.

"Er... Yes, but it'll be fine." Clyde replied somewhat silently.

The pair of rangers entered the grove with their horses following behind.

This gathering spot could be the most bland camp setup Clyde had ever seen. Naturally, this was more of an emergency meeting than a gathering, but still, there was no warm campfire or any food, let alone the cheery aura that the previous gatherings all had.

"Where's Gordon?" Clyde looked around to see. There were a few rangers he could recognize, but not the Head Ranger.

"Right here!" A voice that was obviously deepened by purpose rose up behind the ginger headed apprentice. Clyde turned around to see a fair skinned, blond teen in front of him.

"Glade!" He walked over to him and shook his hand. "Where have you been? You didn't even write me one letter!"

"Ahaha, sorry about that." Glade scratched his head with an apologetic face. "The monsters appeared around Redwall first, so we were dealing with them for a while now. And even before that, the crime rate in Redmont flew up so high, it was crazy! I couldn't even take a full nap, let alone writing to you." He explained with a tired voice. "Still, it's thrilling to be in such dangerous work. I feel like a full-time ranger!" He kept talking as usual. "So, what's up with you?"

"Uh, nothing." said Clyde awkwardly.

"Glade! Where have you been, I've told you to take care of the horses!" An angry voice came up behind them as Glade got hit lightly on top of his head.

"Ah, Jacob! I was just making up lost time with Clyde. We have been so busy, right?" He kept talking like an energetic chipmunk, somehow managing to annoy the blond ranger even more.

"Ugh. Welcome, Clyde. I hope you two didn't have it as hard as we did." He briefly waved his hand at the ginger haired boy.

"Ah, don't worry... It was fine." Clyde said almost silently.

"By the way, I saw Bryce holding his stomach tightly back there, what's up with that?" Jacob asked curiously.

"Oh, well... It's from one of those monsters." answered Clyde as he nervously played around with his hands.

"Really? We never got hit by any of them." Glade uttered in surprise.

"B-but how? Their fur is far too thick, we could barely survive one encounter!" Clyde felt weak hearing Glade's words, so he immediately reacted defensively.

"Ah, didn't you strike it in the eye? They are defenseless that way, no fur on the eye, right?" Glade explained as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

If I had thought of this, Bryce wouldn't be hurt, thought Clyde. He felt his confidence slowly drained.

"So he got a direct hit? Yikes, that sounds bad. I wouldn't want to get hit by one of those." Jacob said with a painful expression on his face.

"I wouldn't mind!" Glade said cheerfully. His eyes were sparkling in excitement. "In fact, I'm a little bit jealous of Bryce."

"W-why? Where did that come from!?" Clyde reacted in surprise.

"Well, he put his life in the line for the job. That is just what a true ranger does, right? I'm jealous of that." Glade kept talking excitedly.

"Don't... Don't be! I love being a ranger too, but dying just for the sake of it..."

"Just let it go, Clyde." Jacob sighed. "That's just how he is sometimes." The tiredom could be read from his face.

Suddenly, a blue eyed, dark haired young man appeared out of thin air right beside them.

"Everyone's on the edge now, huh... Figures. You guys couldn't even notice I was here." Merlin talked in his same nonchalant way.

"Merlin, there you are. Where's Gordon?" Jacob asked, unfazed by the ranger appearing out of nowhere.

"How should I know? We've got to wait and see." He replied curtly. "Oh, you two are here too." He noticed the pair of apprentices as he spoke. "Bry's not around, though. Shocking."

"As if. Hello everyone, nice to see you." The long haired ranger appeared in front of everyone.

"Ah, speak of the devil." Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Hush, hush! No time for bickering, I have a special guest for you all." Bryce said excitedly.

"Hey, everyone!" A short guy with a thin build, beige baggy clothing and a large yellow scarf covering half his face came out from behind of the tall ranger. "It's nice to see you again." He smiled.

"Darc? You're alive?" Jacob acted surprised.

"Hurray." Merlin reacted, unenthusiastic.

"Ah... Clyde, Glade, this is Darc, the ranger of Ghoulsbane. He's a part of our friend circle, just not a frequent visitor." Bryce introduced the apprentices to the young man.

"Nice to meet you." The two of them waved hands at him.

"So you guys are apprentices? Time is flying so fast I couldn't see the two of you get apprentices." Darc looked at Bryce and Jacob.

"Well, it could help if you could lift your head from all these missions." Jacob said.

"Yeah, Ghoulsbane has nice people, but I suppose a place that gloomy is bound to have trouble both inside and around it. I have to stay on duty." Darc said proudly.

"More like you got influenced by their workaholic ways." Merlin mocked him.

"Excuse me? That's not it at all!" Darc argued and crossed his arms in anger.

"That's another thing about him. He throws tantrums like a child, so get used to him before he leaves for another mission in like, three minutes." Merlin snickered condescendingly.

"Ugh..." Darc refused to say anything.

"Now, now. Let's not end this on a sour note. It's rare for us to get together like this, after all." Bryce tried to calm them down. "That being said, we need to get back on work. Clyde, can you check around the camp? We might need some injuries treated."

"Right... Uh... I'll be doing that." Clyde walked out of the crowd, but someone held onto his hand.

"I'll lend a hand too!" It was Glade.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Two apprentices walked around the camp to check on injured rangers, but they were hard to spot even when they were laying around, so they decided to talk to anyone they come across.

"Hey! Anyone injured over here?" Glade asked to a pair of rangers who were chatting sitting on the grass. They stood up and walked over to the duo.

"Nah, we're good. Who're you?" The shorter one with a long beard and a large build asked.

"Um... We're apprentices, looking for wounded people to treat." Clyde explained shortly.

"Tha's nice, tha's nice, yer good people." The ranger nodded proudly.

"I don't believe we've met. How about introductions before you go on your merry way?" The taller, thinner one said with a gentle smile on his face.

"Sure! I'm Glade, Jacob's apprentice. This is Clyde, he's Bryce's." Glade saved Clyde from the effort of speaking.

"Ah, nice to meet you two. I'm Lance, in your service. As long as you're in my fief, that is." The taller ranger bowed slightly. He looked like a nice gentleman, if a bit too young to act that way, thought Clyde. He didn't even have a beard on his face.

"Yer too gentle, Lance! Act a bit more harsh, establish some authority, will ya?" The shorter ranger jokingly jabbed Lance on the sides. "Archard here, half Skandian, if ya couldn't tell. Har har har!" He laughed loudly. How bold and far from the model ranger, thought Clyde. Then again, he himself wasn't very fitting of that ideal either.

"Yeah, half Skandian, yet ironically short. That's our Archard." Lance laughed.

"Shaddup! I ain't taking sass from a spindling guy like ya!" Archard burst out.

"Aww, I was kidding. Trust me, he's a good soul. And just as bit of a fighter as you'd expect." Lance continued, unfazed.

"Heh heh. Ya could say that again. Lance's good people, too." Archard pat the back of the thin ranger.

"It was nice to meet you, but we should be on our way." Clyde said gently.

"Ah, happy travels!" Lance waved at them as they walked past.

"How nice! I hope we get to talk like true rangers someday." Glade said, mesmerized.

"Huh? You want us to bicker like old couples?" Clyde said jokingly.

"Well, maybe. If that's what makes us good rangers, I'm down to it." Glade smiled.

"You seem to talk about that an awful lot, huh..." Clyde said, somewhat concerned.

"You should be used to it already, right? Come on, let's go!" Glade started sprinting, leaving Clyde to chase after him.

After treating some of the rangers along the way, The two of them sat down on a patch of grass to rest for a while.

"Whew, that was good effort, Clyde! I'm sure everyone is grateful." Glade smiled at the boy.

"Haha, you think so?" Clyde blushed, being complimented on his work.

"Yep, he does." Suddenly, a voice came from right next to Clyde.

"Aaagh!" He couldn't help but be startled. The pitch black haired man near him laughed loudly. He was leaning onto a rock right beside the apprentice, hands behind his head.

"Did I scare ya? I couldn't help but eavesdrop. How are you kiddos doing?" He smiled.

"Ernest! You came too!" Glade got up and sat next to the ranger excitedly.

"Ernest?" Clyde's mind went to a conversation he had with Bryce a few months ago.

"Yep, that's me. So how are ya doing, Clyde?" Ernest wrapped his arm around the boy's neck and pulled him closer. Clyde felt disturbed by how relaxed this man was. On top of it, wasn't this the same man Bryce mentioned having a bad relationship with? Still, he had told him not to judge him based on that.

"Erm... Uh... How did you know my name?" He asked the first question that came to his mind.

"Well, a true ranger's got to know his allies well, right? Besides, I know Bryce, so I know you by proxy, too." The man explained shortly.

"Yeah... I see." Clyde replied coldly.

"So, how are you doing, Ernest? Don't just ignore me!" Glade poked the ranger.

"Heh, I wasn't ignoring ya, c'mere!" He wrapped his other arm around the blond apprentice's neck. "It's nice to see kids like you are growing up to be rangers. Are ya missing any shots lately?"

"Not at all!" Glade smiled proudly.

"I... Um... I missed a few." Clyde admitted shyly.

"A few? Really? You ought to train more, boy." Ernest said, disappointed.

"A true ranger should never miss!" Glade stated.

"Er... But I'm trying my best..." Clyde felt disturbed again.

"Eh, of course you are. But Bryce isn't really a harsh teacher, is he? Maybe ya need some effort of yourself to make up for it."

"N-no way! This doesn't have anything to do with Bryce!" The apprentice burst out.

"Don't be like that, Clyde. I doubt he meant it like that. Bryce is very great." Glade tried to calm him down.

"Exactly, Bryce is a nice fella. I've known him for longer than both of you combined, know that? We're just poking fun here'n there. No need to get worked up over it." Ernest released the boys and laid on his back once again. "I was kiddin' around. Just make sure you do your best and y'all will be fine." He smiled at Clyde. The boy looked down in embarrassment.

"Ah... sorry. I overreacted. It's just that I..."

"...feel like you are left behind?" Ernest completed his sentence. Clyde didn't even bother asking how he managed to do that.

"Yes... Exactly." He admitted.

"Don't worry about that, just focus on your job and you'll be fine. Ya got good medical skills, yeah? Then go cure 'em all!" He patted the back of the apprentice with considerable strength.

"You think so? Ehehe... Thanks!" Clyde smiled. "Then I might as well continue helping them out."

"You do that. We'll stay behind with Glade and chat a little." The ranger waved goodbye at the apprentice.

"Yep! I have much to catch on, Clyde. Hope you forgive me." Glade said apologetically.

"It's fine, really. See you later!" Clyde went on his way.

This Ernest person was really like Glade, both revolting him and making him happy when they first met. Maybe that meant that they would hit it off well later on? Clyde wondered. Well, for now, he seemed like a nice person, so it was a good thing he listened to Bryce's advice, he thought.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

After helping out in the camp, Clyde almost immediately ran into his mentor.

"Clyde, there you are. Let's go, the gathering is about to start." He signaled him to get closer.

"Did Gordon come?" Clyde asked.

"Yes, exactly. Now, follow behind!" He started walking further through the grove.

Clyde looked around himself. All 50 rangers were in the fully set up council with Gordon standing in the middle and everyone else in circles, surrounding him. Everyone was talking, so Clyde couldn't make all the words out clearly. He decided to focus on the familiar voices over the other ones from then on.

"So, has everyone arrived?" The green eyed Head Ranger asked.

"Yes, I believe so." Answered Bryce.

"Good. So, I won't make this a long talk. We have a Wargal problem across the whole country." His tone got drastically serious, even more than usual.

"Yeah, that's obvious. So, what do we do?" Merlin sounded as bored as humanly possible.

"Wait, what is a Wargal?" Glade asked.

"Ancient creatures living deep in the Mountains of Rain and Night past the Celtic Fissure." Jacob explained shortly.

"So, naturally, we have to investigate the place." Bryce suggested.

"That is one part of the plan." Gordon affirmed.

"There's also the sudden raise in the crime rate. Is it relevant?" Darc spoke.

"I doubt so. Although, that is another concerning issue." Lance stated nervously.

"Eh, 'Zat right? The Wargal problem easily takes the cake, though." Archard said.

"Well, I think someone needs to check that Gallic border." Ernest suggested. The eyes of everyone locked onto him almost immediately.

"The Gallic border? Because of the latest conflict?" Gordon asked.

"Nope. Because the place is swarming with Wargals, that's why." Ernest replied.

"But how? It makes no sense for them to gather up right there." Jacob questioned.

"Actually, yeah. What's up with that? Shouldn't they have been in that mountains of whatever instead?" Merlin joined him.

"I think it has only one explanation. Our problem has to do something with Gallica. Quite simple, yeah?" Ernest crossed his arms, smirking.

"That's... Confusing, to say the least." Bryce looked disturbed.

"Confusing, but it can't be ignored, can it, Bryce?" Ernest said as if to spite him.

"I... I have to agree with Ernest here. We need to check it out." Darc said.

"Me too! We need to blend into Gallica and see what's up!" Glade said, all pumped up.

"As if you have any presence here..." Jacob looked at Glade with annoyed eyes. "Still, it's true. We need to check it out."

"Alright, one mission for Gallica, one for the fissure... mountain... thing... What else, Gordon?" Merlin summed up the conversation.

"The rest of the rangers should defend their respective fiefs. I think that should be enough." Gordon concluded the argument.

"W-wait!" Clyde suddenly yelled in a moment of realization.

"What is it, Clyde?" Gordon asked, visibly surprised.

"It's... I... Um..." With all eyes locked onto him, Clyde's thoughts were reduced to mumbles.

"Ahaha, the poor kid's just tired." Ernest laughed. "We should jus-"

"Let the boy talk, Ernest." Bryce spoke calmly, but it was the most terrifying Clyde has ever seen him.

"I just think that... That we should check for any Hyrd'mis activity!" Clyde said with the strength he got from Bryce.

"Huh? What for?" Ernest asked, surprised.

"Seriously. That's irrelevant." Merlin said, disappointed.

"Believe me or not, but... Those monsters were controlled. I remember just a glimpse of their eyes, but the feeling is the same..." Clyde felt emotional as memories from his previous adventures flooded in. "Remnants of Hyrd'mis could very well be in this movement, so we should stay on guard!" He said decisively.

"I'm still not too sure, kiddo." Ernest said, not looking convinced.

"Maybe, maybe not. Still not relevant enough." Merlin sided with him.

"I think Clyde's got a point." Bryce put his hand on the apprentice's back.

"I also think Clyde is right! We've been searching for Genovesans for a long time now, but not for Hyrd'mis. Why not?" Glade joined in.

"I also think it's best to stay cautious. My vote's on Clyde." Jacob said.

"Erm... It's too much of a reach for me, sorry." Darc stated.

"Well, I think so too. No offense, but we shouldn't spread ourselves thin." Lance agreed with Darc.

"I say we give it a shot, anyway." Archard stood with Clyde.

Suddenly, the rangers were arguing left and right for the suggestion.

"Calm down, calm down!" Gordon silenced everyone. "We shall also pay attention to suspicious Hyrd'mis activity, so it passes. Any questions?" he asked, but it was obvious no answer was expected.

"Then the gathering is nearly over. I'll be distributing the missions now." Gordon ended the conversation.

After the missions were assigned, the six rangers gathered together once more before departure.

"Clyde, just what was that? It was so cool seeing you so confident, just like a true ranger!" Glade laughed proudly.

"I dunno, sounded too cheap for me." Merlin said condescendingly.

"Er..." Clyde couldn't say anything, he couldn't handle being the center of attention for one more second.

"So, did anyone get assigned for a mission?" Jacob asked, saving Clyde from the anxiety.

"Merlin and I have the Gallic investigation." said Darc.

"Yep. What he said." Merlin nodded. "Kind of a bummer, really."

"Oh, come on!" Darc elbowed Merlin.

"Bryce and I got the Celtic Fissure. That's why I asked." Jacob explained.

"Yes, that aside, we have to tell something to you two, Clyde and Glade." Bryce said.

"Huh? What is it?" Asked Glade.

"You two should stay in our fiefs and ensure the safety of everyone there." Jacob told the two of them as he caressed his beard.

"We can't afford to leave a fief empty in a situation like this. Can you two handle it?" The long haired ranger asked them.

"Of course we can! Right, Clyde?" Glade grabbed Clyde's hand joyfully.

"Ah, yeah..." Clyde agreed.

With everything settled, the group scattered slowly.

"Wait, you're leaving now?" asked Clyde.

"Of course. We don't have time to lose, this is urgent." Bryce explained.

"We'll take a rest in the first inn, don't worry." Jacob assured him. "Glade, don't you dare do something crazy while I'm gone." He threatened the apprentice.

"I'll try my best to help out!" Glade smiled widely.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

As time drove near, everyone save for a few had left the gathering spot. Clyde was about to leave as well, until he heard a familiar voice.

"...well, then just convince them to take your place, kid. It's the only way."

Curious, he followed the voice and ended up on a dark grove drowned in shadows.

"Clyde, how nice of you to join us!" Ernest said, startling the boy.

"Eavesdropping like a real ranger, eh? I'm impressed." He called the boy over.

"Erm... I wasn't eavesdropping, I was just..." Clyde mumbled, embarrassed.

"Sure, sure. Come over here now, Glade was just asking me something.

As Clyde noticed just then, the fair skinned boy was also with the ranger. Glade looked at him with a serious look on his face.

"Clyde, I've made a decision..." Glade started speaking.

"I'm going to Gallica too."


	27. Chapter 25: Descent

"What!?" Clyde almost yelled out in surprise. "W-why would you do that?"

"Don't you see? We're supposedly left with the fiefs to ensure their safety, but it's obvious that wasn't the only aim of our mentors." Glade went on to explain.

"To put it simply, Jacob and Bryce want to protect you two." Ernest joined him.

"B-but that doesn't mean you can just go leave for Gallica on a whim!" Clyde argued. "Who will take care of Redmont?"

"I think we can convince a nearby ranger to cover for his fief as well. The Wargals are not that much of a problem when they are waltzing on their own." The black haired ranger spoke.

"Then... Why Gallica and not the Celtic Rift?" The persistent apprentice kept on arguing.

"Simple, because it seems more interesting!" Glade answered while grinning. "So, you won't go telling on anyone, right?" He asked jokingly.

"I won't." Clyde answered. "Because I'm coming too." His eyes glared at him with determination.

"Really? I thought ya were opposed to the idea." Ernest commented, smirking.

"I'm coming so that I can keep you safe." Clyde said, looking down at his feet. "I couldn't look straight at Jacob's face if something would happen to you over there."

"Clyde... Thank you!" Glade smiled with open eyes looking straight at him to show his gratitude.

"Well, well, well... And here I was, thinking I'd have to silence ya for being a snitch! You're a nice apprentice, Clyde." Ernest said approvingly.

"But... What will we do about Greenfield? Find another ranger to cover for it?" Asked the ginger haired apprentice.

"Exactly. Don't worry about it, I'll convince Lance and Archard to cover for you two. They are nearby Redmont and Greenfield, respectively." Ernest explained.

"That's a relief!" Glade snickered contently.

"Oh, and if anyone ends up catching ya on the act, just blame it all on me. I'll smooth things out." The seasoned ranger nodded to himself.

"This is... Too much..." Clyde said as if he was objecting. "Why are you doing all of this?"

"Why? Well, I simply want to carry the Ranger Corps to the next level. I want more independent and reliable apprentices such as yourselves. Capisce?" He smirked.

"Right... Okay, thank you!" Clyde smiled mildly. He was warming up to the ranger.

"Anything else you want to question before we go, Clyde?" Glade poked fun at the apprentice.

"I-I wasn't doing that, I just want things to go smoothly." Clyde replied, flustered.

"That makes two of us." Ernest said as he rummaged through his pockets. "Here, as a frequent visitor of Gallica, I've collected a list of suspicious royals from all around the country. I bet this will be helpful." He handed the paper over to Glade.

"W-wow... This information is quite something. You're truly a great ranger, Ernest!" The blond apprentice said in excitement as he held the list in his hands.

"Hang on... Did you give anything like this to Merlin and Darc?" Clyde questioned.

"Of course not. I trust ya enough to deliver that paper over there, or solve things by yourselves. Show me what ya got!" The pitch black haired ranger slapped the backs of the duo and sent them staggering forwards for a few steps.

"Well, I suppose we have no other choice." Clyde sighed. "Let's go!" He collected his spirits and faced Glade with an energetic smile on his face.

"Yup! We can do this. Let's show everyone our worth as rangers!" Glade smiled back.

Right then and right there, another journey was about to start.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Whew... All the way to the Celtic Rift and then some more... Can't say I'm a big fan of climbing down rifts." Jacob uttered in complaint. Two seasoned rangers were riding their horses towards the large rift that separated the main land from the Plateau of Rain and Night.

"Well, don't be so down! We'll take a short rest in the first chance we get." Bryce comforted his friend.

"Meh. Doesn't feel enough." The blond ranger rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay. The coffee's on me." Bryce snickered.

"Now you're talking." Jacob smirked in victory.

"Are we running out of money? You're so cheap, pal." Jacob's horse chimed in.

"Oh, shut up you rascal!" The ranger pet the golden mane of the horse roughly. "Hey Bryce, you think I can replace Thunder for a newer, more silent model?" He asked jokingly.

"Hey now, I'm not just a vehicle, you know!" Thunder said as if his feelings were hurt.

"Don't worry Thunder, they are just messing around." Pfeil comforted the horse.

After that, the group, surprisingly including the mounts, went silent as the topics to talk lessened hour by hour. As the sun slowly began to set, the thighs of the rangers were all sore from riding, and the horses were tired from walking as well. As per the tactic of rangers, the duo leapt off their horses to walk together for a while, but both of them sensed that they were near their limits.

"Is it me, or are we gettin' too old for this?" Jacob said whilst panting.

"I don't know about you, but I'll need more than just one cup to rest after this." Bryce replied, laughing.

"The first chance we get, you said?" Jacob uttered as he practically dragged himself along the road. "There's a town around here, right? They better have an inn."

"Well, we'll see." Bryce said back calmly, but he couldn't stop panting after a while, either. "Did we push ourselves a bit too hard?" He questioned while smiling.

"You're always pushing us too hard, it's divine retribution!" Thunder playfully looked at the tired men.

"You can ride us to the town, don't be so modest!" Said Pfeil conversely.

"Let's just keep going, we'll make it somehow." Jacob kept walking, ignoring the horses. "Don't forget, you're paying."

"Is everything ready?" Clyde asked, ready to climb on the saddle of his horse.

"We're all set! We need to reach Gallica as fast as possible now." Glade answered, preparing his own horse as he stroked her pure white coat.

"I hope guards won't make it harder for us." Clyde uttered, concerned.

"It will be fine, we're rangers! Besides, didn't Ernest say he'd handle everything?" The blond apprentice smiled brightly.

Riding on their horses, both of them were ready to ride towards their destination with newfound determination.

"Ahh... Slept like a log." Jacob woke up inside the inn room, immediately seeing Bryce tie up his hair in a ponytail, already up.

"Good morning." Bryce smiled. "I'm surprised you woke up this late after chugging down the entire coffee stock of the inn yesterday."

"Can't help it, your snores kept me awake for quite a while." The blond ranger said back as he rubbed his eyes. Getting up, he searched around for his ranger outfit and cloak.

"Snores? I didn't know that I snored." Bryce said with a sarcastically surprised face.

"How does that kid Clyde put up with you? It's like an elephant is sneezing beside you every single second." Jacob poked fun at the ranger as he donned his outfit on, adjusting the clasp of his cloak. "Ah, wait. He's probably just being nice. At least he'll have a good day's sleep now, right?" He smirked.

"Don't worry, he's not nearly as sensitive as you are, gramps." Bryce replied as he jokingly poked his friend in the chest.

"Gramps? You're older than I am." Jacob stated, confused.

"Not in the spirits!" Bryce hastily walked over to the door and opened it, releasing a really creaky sound. "Yeesh, they should really oil these sometime later."

"Let's just get on the road." Jacob said impatiently as both of them stopped kidding around.

After paying for the expenses and getting back the horses from the barn, the duo set out on the road again. As they rode faster towards the rift, the bored rangers ended up chattering again.

"So, how is your mother doing?" Bryce asked while his eyes were fixed on the road.

"My Ma? Eh, she's fine. Just as calm as ever." Jacob replied nonchalantly. "Now that you mention it, I guess I should visit her again later."

"That would be nice. We don't know when will be the last time we see each other." The ranger said, smiling melancholically.

"Er... You alright?" Jacob looked at him, concerned.

"Huh? Oh, it's fine. I just recently told Clyde about when I became a ranger and... It sort of brought back memories." Bryce explained shortly.

"You went on and told him all that? Well, it's nice you two can have a moment like that." Jacob said as he stared deep into the road ahead.

"Aren't you and Glade close too?" Asked Bryce curiously.

"Well, I didn't go adopt him or something, but I was thinking we were doing fine..." The blond ranger sighed. "I just don't get the way he acts anymore. Hell, I doubt I ever did in the first place."

"Why? He seemed just as cheerful as usual to me." Bryce said in surprise.

"Oh, he is cheerful alright." Jacob said almost furiously. "Ranger this, ranger that... I was used to it, until he started being weird about it. I don't get it, he told me why he acted like that, but..."

Bryce came closer with his horse and put his right hand on his friend's shoulder. "He's still a child, Jacob. He'll get over it by time. Until then..."

"We protect 'em... As usual." Jacob completed Bryce's sentence. The long haired ranger nodded in agreement.

The two of them kept riding towards the rift, which was clearly visible on the horizon now.

"We're climbing all the way down?" Asked Jacob.

"Yes, we have to. It's where the Wargals show up, anyway." Answered Bryce.

"Why don't they just build a bridge over the rift?" Jacob asked in retaliation.

"I've heard they tried, but... This place has that eerie kind of atmosphere for a reason. No matter how much they try, the bridge either burns or gets cut down almost instantly, by forces they can't even see." Bryce explained.

"Huh, sounds like a ghost story. I don't buy it." Jacob reacted grumpily.

"I would say so as well, but these are in the official records, so I don't know what to say." Bryce scratched his shaggy beard as he briefly eyed the map he took out of his pocket to confirm they are getting closer to the destination. "We just have to worry about climbing down there and finding the source to this ruckus, anyway." He said as he put the map away.

"Aha. Here's the rift." Jacob gazed over at the huge Celtic Rift, looking deep and bottomless.

Both rangers leapt off their horses, taking some climbing rope out of the pouches attached to the saddle.

"Now, let's bind these to something sturdy." Bryce looked around, but Jacob stopped him. "Wait, lemme go first! If we both go at the same time, we won't be able to help each other." He suggested.

"If you say so... Still, I could go first if you'd like." Bryce offered in return.

"Nope, not with that huge bruise on your stomach, doofus." The blond ranger said curtly. "Just hold the rope gently in case I slip... Not that it'll happen."

"We'll see about that." Bryce smiled sarcastically.

Jacob bound the rope properly around his body and bound the end of the rope to a sturdy rock. Bryce held onto the rope as he slowly descended down the gigantic rift.

The blond ranger was not afraid of the heights nor the climbing but was simply bored of the long time it was taking with each crevice to step in getting harder to find as he climbed down further. Normally, had he made the slightest mistake, it would be the end of him, but he trusted the long haired ranger up on the surface.

Taking one more step, he refused to look down. The rift was eerily quiet, almost as if it would drive Jacob crazy. Slowly but surely, he made it to the bottom of the rift. Looking up, he could see the strangest view he had ever seen in his life. It was as if the darkness cracked open to the sky itself. However, the ranger did not have any time to lose, as he had to discover where the monsters come from exactly. The rope tied to his waist, he approached the darkness, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the scenery, albeit very slowly.

It was as if he was the only man left on the world, taking careful steps in the noiseless bottom of the rift, seemingly inhabited by no one.

That is, until he took one more step forward, seeing a crowd of glittering, bright red eyes in the darkness.

Reacting quickly, he stepped back and used his cape to hide himself, but no matter how still he stood, the Wargals now knew he was there. Giving up from that plan, Jacob cursed on the ambiguous intelligence of the monsters. Unfortunately, with what looked like around three dozens of the furry warriors hunting him down, he had little choice but to run. As he ran as fast as he could, he pulled on the rope as hard as possible with a set frequency.

Up on the surface, Bryce felt the rope moving in his hands as he was waiting, tapping his foot on the ground in concern. Surprised, he began to pull the rope as fast as he could.

"Jacob, just what is happening down there?.." He pulled on the rope faster as he imagined.

Being pulled up slowly, the blond ranger held onto the crevices of the rock surface he was faced against. The Wargals were jumping up and down like feral dogs, clawing at him desperately.

"Back down you damned hounds, back down!" He kicked a Wargal hard on its head after it tried to climb up to him.

After getting high enough, he gave the rope signal to Bryce again, stopping his ascent. Now he had to carefully change his position to avoid another troop like that.

However, as he stepped on the next opening, he felt something loosen up. Looking up in confusion, he saw another, much larger monster jumping right onto him. Unable to identify the shadowy shape, Jacob was thrown into panic and jumped down with a nimble maneuver. He didn't hurt any of his limbs but now the monster was right in front of him, ready to charge. The blond ranger felt a brief, strange feeling of his body being stiffened as he eyed the monster in the dark, but that feeling disappeared as soon as the Wargal troop from before approached the larger monster, joining forces.

Fiercely tugging on the rope, Jacob looked up briefly, then ran away once more.

However, after a suspenseful moment of sprinting, he noticed that his waist strangely felt lighter than before.

"Crap... Don't tell me..." Tugging on the rope once more, the cut piece of rope came off and fell, leaving the ranger in despair.

Bryce was in an equal state of panic when he pulled the rope to find out it has been severed at the end.

"J-Jacob..." He felt something weighing in on his legs, as if something was dragging him down, but the adept ranger shook it off and approached the rift himself.

"Rope or no rope... I guess we're doing this."

Proceeding with absolute care, the long haired ranger started to climb down the rift as well.

"Don't you hairballs stop for a moment to rest!?" Jacob yelled out, panting as he lost count of how many minutes he was running for.

As he moved, he sensed movement other than the horde of monsters, but focusing on that was futile, he needed to survive first, then he could investigate for as long as he wanted to.

However, that time didn't seem to come for any time soon. After a long while, the tired ranger felt his legs give in, but falling down meant death and he could not risk it. As his knees and thighs ached, he wondered just how long this rift was.

Suddenly, he saw a small figure on the side of the rift. In fact, it was quite the familiar figure.

"Bryce!" He yelled out. The tall ranger didn't seem to hear him.

He used the last of his strength to push himself further and approach the ranger as he descended further.

As he stepped forwards, he noticed how rugged and strange the terrain had become, and upon taking a small gaze at the surroundings, he noticed that this part of the rift was split into large boulders.

"I got you damned puppies now!" He quickly rolled on the floor to distract the horde and immediately threw the throwing knife towards the edge with the boulders. Hitting just the farthest bit of the large mass, the heavy hilt of the throwing knife managed to start some kind of a landslide. With a loud, rumbling sound, the rangers were completely separated from the hideous monsters, and the few in-between were surely not strong enough to handle dozens of boulders raining on them.

Taking a sigh of relief, Jacob stared at the ranger slowly climbing down. He was still kind of far away, but the blond ranger couldn't make it out that well due to the dust raised up by the landslide.

Looking like he was startled by the rumbling sound of the boulders, Bryce was stuck on the spot, not sure where he would put his foot next, carefully eyeing the wall of rocks and dirt. The sharp pain from the recent bruise on his stomach still hurt a lot, but he refused to give in to it. The mission and Jacob were much more important.

Taking his next step down, Bryce released a breath of relief. Looking down momentarily, he found the previously empty surface of the rift filled with some shadowy figure. Just at that moment, a sharp pain on his stomach combined with a stiff feeling on his legs, and he felt himself losing balance. With nothing to hold on, Bryce couldn't even make a sound as he fell down into the darkness with the blond ranger watching in shock.


	28. Chapter 26: To Gallica

The duo of apprentices were already riding away from the gates of Araluen. Leaving their hometown behind, both of them felt some sort of innate homesickness immediately, but refused to mention it.

"Hey Clyde, you've been pretty silent ever since we left the gate." Glade talked excitedly, turning his head towards the curly haired apprentice.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Well... I just don't know what to talk about." He said honestly as he gently pet his horse's mane. Gale was looking content as he walked as if they weren't going on a mission that was completely forbidden for them. Glade's mount, Pegasus, also looked unfazed, ever looking forward.

"It was a shame the gathering got cut short." Glade spoke on his own.

"Yes, but when is the gathering not cut short, really?" Clyde asked jokingly.

"Ahaha, that's right. Besides, we're only missing out on the exams and the feast. I wish we didn't miss the former, though." The blond apprentice replied, disappointed.

"Well, there's also the family reunion... I guess that doesn't mean that much to any of us, though." Clyde uncomfortably scratched the back of his head.

"The Ranger Corps is my family." Glade said curtly. "It always has been."

"I can relate to that." Clyde stared at the ground in deep thought. "Still, I would have loved to visit Uncle, if I could. Oh well." He looked back up.

"That doesn't sound like an 'Oh well' at all." Gale chimed in.

"Yeah, anything you wanna talk about?" Glade asked curiously.

"Ah, you know, all that junk with my father... I'm over it so it's fine. No worries." Clyde tried to act nonchalant like Merlin while failing miserably.

"If you say so." Glade didn't go further on the argument. "Hey, did you ever get a hole on your medal?" He asked suddenly.

"I... I came very close, but I managed to get through all cartography exams, and the rest were nice enough, I suppose." Clyde said, unsure. "I bet you passed them all with flying colours, though." He added somewhat bitterly.

"Yep! It was super hard, but I didn't get a single dent on my medal. Just the thought of getting one hole is enough, it would mean that I am not a real, worthy ranger, you know." Glade talked as if it was the end of the world.

"Y-you're taking it so seriously, huh..." Clyde said, disturbed. Three holes on the medal would mean failing an exam thrice, therefore being expelled from the Corps before graduating.

"So, we're going to Gallica, right?" He instantly changed the topic.

"Of course! Ernest even opened the way up for us, talking to the guards. He is so capable!" Glade replied excitedly. His eyes were glittering as he mentioned the pitch black haired ranger. Clyde could see the man was a big role model for him, perhaps even more than his mentor.

"Well, do you know Gallic?" He asked.

"No, I don't. Why?" Glade asked back.

"Why? How are we going to speak to people?" Clyde almost yelled out.

"Easy! We can use the merchant language. You know, its and bits from everywhere? You know that language, right?" The blond apprentice explained.

"Okay, that makes sense." Said Clyde, having serious doubts about the journey by the second.

As they kept riding, the road seemed to be endless. The chats and laughters soon ceased and the boys decided to jump off their horses and walk for a while to rest.

"I wonder how Bryce and Jacob are doing..." Clyde said nervously.

"They'll be fine! Aren't they our mentors? We can't expect them to fail while we don't expect ourselves to fail." Glade spoke proudly.

"I don't know... I kinda have low expectations for everything right now." Clyde talked in a pessimistic manner as he stopped to catch his breath.

"Aww, don't be like that, Clyde! We are going to be true rangers, so we can't give up on ourselves or our fellow rangers!" Glade gave the apprentice a pep talk.

"D-don't worry, I never said I am giving up. Just a little nervous." Clyde tried to explain himself.

"We'll just try to catch up with Merlin and Darc, and the rest is simple! We have done much worse missions than this." Glade continued talking.

"Okay, okay, I get the idea." Clyde stopped him, laughing. "You never stop talking, do you?"

"Ahaha, are you trying to tease me?" Glade looked amused. "See? We're being more like rangers already! Now it's my turn."

"It... might be faster if you didn't react to my every sentence." Clyde uttered in confusion.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Much farther than where the two apprentices had gone, Merlin and Darc were riding their horses silently along the road that lead to Gallica. The journey had been far too quiet for the ranger with the yellow scarf, so he started to speak despite the moody eyes of Merlin beside him looking elsewhere.

"Hey, how's it going?" He said jokingly as he poked the tetchy ranger on the shoulder.

Merlin made a small, somewhat angry noise, but didn't respond. Determined, Darc kept poking him until he did so.

"What?" He finally turned his head towards the other ranger and glared at him.

"I just wanted to talk. It's tedious riding like this, not even the horses are talking. Right, Lady?" Darc pet the mane of the rather young looking ranger horse as it stayed silent. "She's pretty shy. How about yours? Ace, was it?"

"Darc, look." Merlin looked directly at his eyes. "I don't know what you're thinking, but we aren't friends, so just shut up."

"H-huh? But when we were with Bryce and the others..." Darc's face instantly took on a painful image.

"That was then. You are their friend, not mine." Merlin spoke cruelly. "What we had is in the past for me now. We're not affiliated anymore, so just let go." His eyes read a strange feeling.

"Affiliated? You mean... Like The Blue Moon? B-but that wasn't..." Darc flinched for a moment. "Well, what about the old times?"

"The old times just remind me of them as well." The ranger talked as if he was forcing himself to be patient.

"No, not that... The 'old' old days." Darc corrected himself.

"Ugh, yeah, so what?!" Merlin burst out. "You yourself remind me of them, and you just went on and forced yourself into this anyway!" His breathing got faster, then slowed down again as he resentfully turned his face towards the road. "Some relationships are better kept severed."

"Merlin, you really think like that..." Darc tilted his face downwards, hiding it behind the soft yellow scarf. "And I quit just so that I could find you here." his voice cracked and got even more high pitched as he sobbed.

"You quit?" Merlin turned back to him with a questioning face. "How can I know if you're not lying to me?"

"Well, the Scourgers are after me too, so you'll notice soon..." He continued sobbing as he wiped his eyes.

"W-what? Here too?" Merlin got genuinely surprised.

"Do you believe me now?" Darc asked. His face was as pink as a peach.

"No." Said Merlin curtly.

"Ugh, fine! As I said, they will be after us anyway, then it will be all your fault for not trusting me!" He crossed his arms and pouted. Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Won't matter whose fault it is when we die." He turned his face towards the road for the last time. "It's over, Darc. Get over it."

The two of them kept riding towards the road as it got progressively less green and more of a sickly yellow from the dried grass and very few trees scattered in between. The conversation between them was over for a long time. It appeared so that the old bond the duo had was not preserved as nicely as the sensitive ranger had thought.

As they continued on the path, the sun slowly disappeared from view, bringing the night to fill the sky. The surroundings got darker and the weather was getting colder by the second. Merlin briefly shifted his gaze to his back, his right and left, then turned his head to the young man beside him.

"Darc."

"Huh?" The ranger with the yellow scarf responded almost immediately.

"They're here."

Suddenly, an arrow went right past them, driving their attention towards their backs, where they could now see two mounted people wrapped in dull coloured clothing, easily disappearing in the dark like a shadow. One of them had a crossbow in hand, the other had already put his weapon back and taken another one, a leather whip with a heavy looking metal piece attached to the tip.

"Wh-what the..." Darc got startled and stopped his mount for a moment, grabbing his bow quickly.

"Hm, I suppose you weren't with them, then." Merlin shrugged, already holding his own longbow.

The horsemen in the dark didn't say a word as they kept assaulting the duo of rangers as they rode faster. The one with the crossbow readied another shot, but Merlin easily dodged the attack. Frustrated, the man also grabbed a whip and held it threateningly.

"The Crescent Scourgers... Even here?" Darc was still surprised as he waited for the correct moment to strike. Merlin didn't respond. He was trying to feel anything he could sense, the light coming from the moon above, the sounds of the hooves hitting the ground, the sound of his breathing... In a moment, he reacted to the sharp sound of the whip reaching out to him and quickly pulled the reins of Ace to take a sharp turn, dodging the whip narrowly.

Darc also managed to dodge the other Scourger's whip and rode towards Merlin, trying to stay as one group. The horsemen were getting ready for another assault, trying to injure their horses or pull them off their mounts to subdue them, leading them to an uncertain end. Knowing it all too well from previous experiences, both of the rangers were tense, as even one mistake could prove fatal against these people that got the same overwhelming training as them.

Getting tired of waiting, the Scourgers attacked with their whips once more. As the leather flew in the air with a crackling sound, Darc looked at Merlin meaningfully. The ranger nodded as he returned the look with his deep blue eyes.

The two of them rode in different directions whilst dodging the whips once more. The crackling sound filled the sky as the Scourgers took a moment to assess the situation.

Almost sure he would be tailed by both of the riders instead of both going for one of them, Merlin took a quick look at his back with a cocky face.

There was nobody behind him.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"This sure is a long road. It's almost evening." Clyde said as the apprentices were riding their horses.

"You tell me, time went out quickly, didn't it?" Glade spoke.

"Yeah, it did." Clyde agreed. "I suppose we need to set up camp now, but not here."

"Too much of an open field, right?" Glade nodded. "Then we can camp in that small grove over there. It will be easier than looking for an entire forest. Is all of Gallica going to be pathetic like this? Hardly a single tree around." He kept on talking.

Leaving the horses on a safe spot in the small grove, the two of them started to set up a small tent and a campfire.

"Is it okay to light it up?" Clyde asked.

The blond apprentice looked around. "It should be fine, the sun isn't out yet, we can extinguish it later." He started fanning the flames the ginger haired apprentice almost immediately started.

Clyde took a small stick and cleaned it, using it to mix the coffee in the small pot they put over the fire.

"It's still kind of scary, going out on our own..." He started talking.

"Ahaha, just like the old days!" Glade chuckled.

"I guess..." Clyde said hesitantly.

"Don't worry, we'll make it. A true ranger always makes it to the goal!" Glade stated excitedly.

"Again with the 'true ranger' stuff... I... I just don't get it." The apprentice locked his blue eyes onto Glade.

"Huh? What's wrong?" The blond apprentice looked confused.

"I don't know!" Clyde said, flustered. "I mean, most of the stuff you say is true and nice things, but that 'true ranger' you put in somehow just makes it... Different, like as if you see things differently than we do." He tried to explain.

"Ah, you too... I see, I'll try to speak less like that." Glade uttered, discontented.

"No, don't!" Clyde yelled out. "I'm not saying you should act like a person you're not, just that... I want to understand you. I want to know what makes you... uh... you."

"Clyde..." Glade went silent for a moment. "Heh, so be it. Since it's you, I guess I can tell... You want coffee?" He smiled as he handed the boy a cup.

"Always." Clyde smiled back as he took the cup. "Ow, hot, hot, hot!" He managed to put it on a flat surfaced rock without scalding his hands.

"I'll tell you everything Clyde, are you ready?" Glade asked a final time.

Clyde nodded seriously.

"Let's see... Where to begin... I don't really know what kind of family I had." Glade started telling his story.

"All I know is that when I wasn't even a year old, one of them left me in the middle of a grass field and abandoned me right there. They didn't even bother bringing me to someone else, I wasn't given that chance, you know that?" He talked with the same excitement as ever but with a broken, almost deranged smile.

"That's... harsh." Clyde's face took a disturbed look almost immediately.

"That's when someone, a ranger, found me in the patch of grass as I was crying. Even now, I have a faint memory of someone cradling me like that, showing me the affection no one had shown... They decided to bring me to the fort of Redmont, where I could be raised safely and be guaranteed a job. They also gave me a name... They named me Glade after the place I was found in. Isn't that wonderful?" He looked directly at the blue eyes of the apprentice.

"Oh, um..." Clyde panicked, then took a few sips out of the cup to look like he wasn't.

"Once I grew up and became a child, I learned from one of the caretakers that a ranger had found me. I was apparently the only one who didn't knew. Everyone was avoiding me for having a tie to such a 'dangerous individual' but I knew that things weren't like that. I immediately wanted to be a ranger. I wanted to meet that person, at all costs." Glade looked deeply into the fire.

"I... I would want that too, I think." Clyde tried to react, but he felt a bit overwhelmed.

"So, as a result, I snuck in the daily training of younger archers, I trained with kitchen knives, I hid at night and messed around with guards, I developed myself for years before the Choosing Day came, so that I could be a ranger's apprentice. I asked Jacob desperately each year to be his apprentice. I needed to be a ranger... No, the very manifestation of a ranger. I wanted to find that person and I wanted to pay them back, by being their shadow and protecting them at all costs be it bruises, limbs, or my life! I wanted to be someone they could be proud of." He embraced himself tightly as he spoke. "I really just want to pay my debt, above all else."

"Glade... That's... I... I understand." Clyde spoke hesitantly. "I definitely don't support how you act so sacrificial, yet I understand."

"Really? You don't find it weird?" Glade asked surprisedly. "I had told this to two other people but only you reacted this... calmly." He snickered. "You're a good listener, Clyde. Always were, always will be."

"Glade, from now on... Let's stand together, okay? I'll be on your side. You know, like a sibling." Clyde gently held his hand in his two hands, smiling.

"A sibling... In that case, I will always protect you as the older brother." Glade's eyes sparkled as he shed a single tear.

"Ehehe... Don't overdo it." Clyde laughed as he extinguished the fire. "Let's go to bed now, it's getting dark."

"Sure, I'll take the first patrol." Glade nodded as he prepared his bow.

Somewhere inside, both of them felt their bond deepening. The duo spent the night safely as they thought of their friends and how they were doing.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Y-you're kidding me!" Merlin looked around in disbelief.

Scanning his surroundings, he found the other ranger, being chased by both of the Scourgers at once.

Both of them swung their whips at once but Darc managed to dodge, or so he thought. The first whip missed its target, but the second hit the hand of the ranger painfully and wrapped around, and the moment the hard leather entangled the arm of his, Darc knew that he lost. With one pull, he flew off his horse and onto the field with pale grass, rolling along the way.

Merlin reacted quickly, taking out a large arrow, pulling the string of the bow, taking aim and shooting in the span of two seconds, He shot the one who hit the ranger in the heart with such precision that the man instantly lost his life and fell off his horse.

Getting on his feet quickly, Darc threw his saxe blade at the other rider before he could use the whip once more, landing it on the hand that held the whip. The Scourger yelled in pain, the first time they heard his voice. In a small moment, the finishing blow came from Merlin, who had taken his aim the moment the blade found its target.

As they recovered their weapons and handled the scene, the duo settled on a camp nearby a small grove. Due to the recent events, they decided not to light a fire, eating the hard, dried meat and fruit they brought instead.

"Will you take the first shift? I'll leave you alone then." Hurt from Merlin's behaviour and tired from the conflict, Darc decided to sleep early but Merlin stopped him by pulling his arm before he left.

"Wait, let me see it first." He said as Darc sat beside him, confused. "Your hand, let me see."

"Huh? Oh... Okay. It's not much of a wound, but..." Darc extended his arm to let Merlin see the wound.

The dark haired ranger took out his first ait kit and put some warmweed salve on the cut after cleaning the bloody parts.

"Okay, that should do it." He let go of the scarfed ranger.

"Is this your way of saying sorry?" Darc caught on to his acts.

"What? In your dreams." Merlin looked away instantly.

"Look, I know you don't want anything to do with Blue Moon... You probably want to evade them forever." Darc looked around uncomfortably. "But why escape alone? We could evade them together..."

"I can do it alone, too." Merlin replied curtly.

"I know... I just want it because I still like you." Darc fixed his gaze on Merlin. "I don't want our relationship to be over just because of a stupid association, so..." He quickly switched his gaze over to the ground, embarrassed. "Ugh, I miss you, alright? I should be allowed that much!" He crossed his arms.

"You're so childish." Merlin couldn't hide his smile. "Well, if you miss me that much, I guess I can't help it." He shrugged.

"Heh. I knew it!" Darc smiled back.

The friendship of the two of them was remade as Merlin remembered how relaxing it was to have someone in the same situation as himself. Perhaps opening up this small weakness of himself was worth it when it was compared to the amount of comfort it caused. He smiled just a little as Darc went into his tent to leave him to his duty.

The moonlight was blocked by the clouds gathering above, but Merlin's sight was more clear than ever.


	29. Chapter 27: The Petrifying Gaze

"Bryce!" Jacob yelled as he ran towards the falling ranger, but he lost sight of him in a moment, hearing some faint, disturbing noise far ahead. Running with all his might, The persistent ranger eventually made it to the cliff side where he last saw Bryce, only to find the tall ranger pinned down by the same large monster from before, trying to choke the man who had his eyes shut tightly.

Jacob lost no time in pulling out a heavy, piercing arrow and shooting it right through the chest of the creature but despite the sound of the metal stabbing its flesh, it wasn't dead yet.

Trying to escape the grasp of the monster, Bryce built up all his strength and used the support of his legs and arms to throw it off of himself. Tripping as it felt the pain of the arrow stabbing its chest, the monster fell backwards. The roars that surrounded the atmosphere were horrible. Not noticing the blond ranger in the heat of the moment, Bryce took a running start at the monster and slashed its eyes with his saxe knife. Before it could fight back, Jacob sent another arrow flying at its head and finished the job.

Panting, Bryce laid his back on the endless looking cliff and took a few sips of water that Jacob handed him from his own waterskin.

"You alright?" Said the blond ranger as he took back the leather bag that seemed to be lightened a lot.

"Yeah, a little better now." Bryce replied, panting. "Just what was that thing? It threw one gaze at me and my legs froze." He asked in disbelief. This new monster, on top of all the Wargals, was simply too much for a person used to deal with actual people.

"I have a guess, it makes no sense, though." Jacob answered as he caressed his beard. "My Ma used to tell me the tales of the Kalkara, ever heard of that?"

"The Kalkara? No, I haven't." Bryce uttered curiously. "What is this 'Kalkara' your mother spoke of then?"

"Apparently, if you gaze into a Kalkara's eyes, you gradually turn into stone and eventually die, still stiff as a rock." The blond ranger briefly explained.

"That sounds... horrible. I'd say it's just a fairy tale but..." Bryce said as he gave one last breath and got back up taking strength from the ground and the cliff.

"But it's the closest explanation we got." Jacob completed his sentence.

"Yeah... Let's go find where the Kalkara come from, then." Bryce got back in business.

"Wait a sec, why did you come down here!?" Jacob almost yelled out as the question sparked up in his mind.

"Well, I pulled the rope up and it came out in pieces. What else do I need as a reason?" Bryce asked in a serious tone.

"Could have waited for me to return, y'know." Jacob said as he started walking towards the dark void in the rift, turning his back to the collapsed boulders.

"I was just worried, so I came. Is that a problem?" The tall ranger uttered, somewhat offended.

"Nah, I'm glad you're here, to be honest. Those wild dogs were getting far too tedious." Jacob waved his hand nonchalantly as his eyes scanned the cliffs and the bottom of the rift, searching for a trace of the beasts.

"This place is downright frightening..." Bryce said as he looked around with glaring eyes.

The rocky cliffs were barely visible in the pitch dark rift. While the eyes of the rangers were used to the dark, it was apparent that the night was near. The only source of light being from the sky above, it was their only way of knowing the time.

"It's getting dark already, huh..." Jacob said, looking up. "Maybe we should set up a small camp or something."

"Yeah, might be for the best." Bryce agreed. "These creatures have no trace around anywhere here. How uncanny."

"You tell me! It's as if something is erasing their footsteps from behind." Jacob nodded in agreement.

Just as he said that, he saw a small movement in the higher cliff to their right, something akin to a cape waving in the sky, just for a moment.

Jacob tapped Bryce on the arm and silently tracked the movement of the robe, trying to notice the figure in the dark.

"Anyway, we should set up that camp now." He acted as if he had seen nothing in order to avoid the suspicion of their stalker. Bryce nodded and crouched as if to take something out of a bag, but actually, there wasn't anything in front of him. Jacob kneeled down to 'help' him as he silently eyed the mysterious figure in periods, refusing to let it go.

Suddenly, the moving figure moved its hand on its mouth and whistled ominously.

"Bryce." Jacob said calmly, giving the tall ranger a command. He nodded and quickly took out his bow, loaded it with an arrow and shot it within a few seconds. The stalker was apparently not so used to maneuvering as the arrow hit the robe and pinned it on the cliff, piercing the rock slightly.

"Aha, gotcha!" Jacob smiled devilishly. However, as he took swift steps to capture the robed person, Bryce stopped him by touching his shoulder, pointing at the path that lead towards the hiding spot of the enemy.

Suddenly, a cacophony of loud noises came from the footsteps of the intruding monsters, right from the spot where the stalker once stood.

"Argh, come on!" Jacob yelled in fury.

Among the monsters, Bryce could make out at least one Kalkara among the usual Wargals. There were so many that it looked like a sea of wild hounds was crashing upon the rangers like a wave.

"Come on, let's flee!" Bryce said as they bolted off. The robed person was long out of sight.

"I can't believe we let that wench escape!" Jacob ranted as they kept running.

"Well, let's hope they return the favor." Bryce said as he started panting from sprinting. The wound on his stomach was slowing him down, starting to hurt again.

The rift was like a prison cell, enclosing them from both sides with the rocky cliffs and having nowhere to run but straight forward.

Looking at Bryce's condition, Jacob eyed the cliffs on the side with precision until he saw one that had a chunk sticking out that could be climbed on and signaled Bryce.

"We can't keep running forwards forever." The blond ranger said in rush.

"Right, let's do it." Bryce agreed.

Moving even faster, the two of them climbed the rather big lump of rocks on the cliff. They needed to move with precision but also with haste, as they could see the Wargals trying to climb up the rocks as well. They were failing miserably, but this didn't guarantee that a large pile of them wouldn't be able to surpass the height of the spot.

Finally managing to get on top of the rocks, the two of them released a tired breath.

"It's sad that we couldn't bring Pfeil and Thunder with us." Bryce said as he was panting from what he thought was a mixture of stress and the climbing.

"Right? They'd be scattering like a pile of dust." Jacob nodded. "Why do they hate horses, anyway?" He questioned as he briefly looked up into the surface, as if he was asking the question to the horses.

"Alright, that's enough rest." Bryce let out a final, decisive breath before taking out his bow and slowly shooting the monsters that managed to climb high enough to be a threat. Jacob behind him took out his saxe knife to search for any Wargals or Kalkara that reached the cliff, but he couldn't see any. The monsters were getting furious as they either failed to climb or got shot trying. The fury on the red, glowing eyes of the Wargals was frightening as they made howling sounds from the bottom of the rift.

"Are you able to hold them, Bryce?" Jacob asked as his back was turned away from the struggling ranger.

"This isn't good, I'm running out of arrows." Bryce replied in dread as he shot one arrow after another. He could hold the horde away for only so long until the arrows in the quiver were depleted.

The shadowy figures jumping at them like sharks got more furious as Bryce shot them down, even when he aimed at the eyes, a Wargal would take another's place a moment after it fell.

Five arrows... Four arrows... Three... Bryce suddenly felt like a source of noise was missing from the atmosphere. Focusing more on it, he noticed that Jacob's noises were long gone. After shooting his final arrow, he looked behind for a moment and froze in shock.

The blond ranger was on the floor, standing as still as a rock as he involuntarily gazed at the crimson eyes of the large, bear-like monster.

It was a Kalkara.

Throwing his bow aside in a second, Bryce lunged at the Kalkara with his knife and yelled at it to take its attention. The furry monster turned his face towards him and gazed with his eyes, but Bryce shifted his gaze downwards at the last moment.

"B-bryce..." Jacob could hardly speak, being able to move his arms, but not the rest of his body. It felt like his limbs weren't there as he laid almost lifeless on the ground. Still, as long as his arms could move, there had to be something he could do.

Bryce was struggling while fighting with the beast as he had to attack swiftly, defend himself, keep the Wargals at bay and look away from the paralysing crimson stare at the same time. With each strike, he felt himself weakening as the immense force of the strikes coming from the sharp clawed monster forced him back towards the Wargals.

"Bryce... push it... push it towards me!" Jacob said slowly. Nodding, Bryce closed his eyes and took strength from the steady ground and both of his legs to jump at the monster and push it with all of his power. As the claws of the Kalkara and Bryce's knife met, a spark flew out of the two weapons clashing, scaring it in an abnormal way, as if it was afraid of light or fire. The frightened monster let out a shriek as it lost its balance and Jacob threw the two of his strikers bound together at its feet right after, watching as the metal tangled on its leg made the shocked monster fall all the way down the rift.

"Heh, gotcha!" Jacob smirked in triumph.

"It seemed afraid of the sparks for some reason." Bryce thought out loud as he swiftly returned to the edge of the rocky platform, ready to confront any Wargals who managed to climb over. However, when he turned his back, he saw the spot filled to the brim with the ferocious creatures.

"Gah! Stay back!" He yelled as he swung his dagger threateningly but the monsters were far too bloodthirsty to act carefully.

With a sudden thought, Bryce took out his throwing knife and held it on his free hand, using it with the saxe knife to produce sparks, making the Wargals step back in visible fear.

"First the horses, and now this? These furballs are quite the scaredy cats, aren't they?" Jacob laughed nervously as the long haired ranger fended the beasts off one step at a time.

After the monsters gave up on their target once confronted by a wave of sparks and left, the rangers took a large sigh of relief.

"That's it for me, the knives are busted." Said Bryce as he held them in his hands. Trying to survive, he had misused the knives in a frenzy. He could have used his flintstone instead, but it would take the slightest moment to take it out instead of the throwing knife, which could cost both of them their lives. As he stared at the slightly dulled weapons, he realized that they were still sharp, but definitely not enough to cut through the fur of the frightening monsters of the rift.

"Are we gonna camp here as well? Get a move on, Bryce!" Jacob snapped him back to reality with an impatient voice.

"Sorry, let's get you down there." Bryce smiled as he took out the rope, tying it up on the paralyzed ranger.

He held the rope as he slowly made Jacob's limp body descend, then climbed down himself once the blond ranger made it to ground.

"Can you move?" Bryce asked as he untied his friend.

"At a snail's pace? Maybe." Jacob replied jokingly.

"Alright then, we have no choice." Bryce sighed and picked Jacob up, carrying him on his back. "I haven't done this since Mary. Hope my back doesn't get all stiff." He said as if complaining.

"Oh, come on. You aren't even that old." Jacob snapped back.

"At this rate, I'll grow that old by the time we make it to the surface." Bryce laughed as he walked slowly. The journey was going to take longer than he thought.


	30. Chapter 28: Colliding Paths

"Whew... Finally, some signs of a civilisation." The dark haired ranger said as he panted from the intensity of the hot weather. Reaching a town to start investigating the Wargal problem took longer than he thought because of the Crescent Scourgers blocking their path more often than ever.

"Isn't it too hot? Why are you still wearing that thing?" He mockingly asked Darc as he pointed at the yellow scarf the ranger had pulled up to his nose.

"I get the chills pretty easily, don't you know?" Darc smiled at him.

Merlin sighed deeply as he locked his gaze on the road. Even though he knew in his mind that they roughly had a few minutes to arrive, it felt like it was taking hours and days. Even their horses, who were usually chatty at least among themselves, were too tired to make a sound.

"You don't need to hide it, you know." He turned his face to Darc again as he leaned forwards. "They'll eventually notice anyway."

Darc giggled gently and turned his face forwards. "Only the three of us know. It's been like that for years. Don't worry Merlin, I'm really good at hiding."

The bored ranger exhaled loudly as if to announce his boredom to the world. "It's the one thing you learned from them that's useful."

"Come on, come on! We'll be there soon." Darc poked him cheerfully. This was not an easy job to do on horseback, but he managed to stretch just enough to not fall.

"Aargh, won't I get a moment of peace on my own mount!?" Merlin exploded as Darc laughed. He shook his head and took one more gaze at the horizon.

They were almost there.

"Two cups of coffee, please." The blond apprentice took out a few metal coins from his pouch and handed it to the clerk in front of the counter. The innkeeper's thundering voice could be heard from one floor above. It was a nice thing he got a girl with a gentle voice to take the orders instead of him, thought Glade.

"Here you go, sir." The girl put the coffee cups on the counter as he thought silently.

"Thanks Glade! I'll pay back for it on the next stop." Clyde said cheerfully as he took the cup in his hands. He wasn't thinking that talking in merchant's language would work out that well. As he took his first sip, the curly haired apprentice noticed that the cup had a small pattern of flowers on it, which reminded him of his mentor.

"No, no. It's my treat. A ranger's gotta be generous, right?" The sound of Glade rejecting the offer scattered his thoughts. "Besides, I don't buy anything often." He smiled at Clyde.

Clyde smiled back and took one more sip. "Well, it's true that the herbs don't come in cheap when I can't pick them myself."

"You packed some salves with you again, didn't you?" Glade said, as he already knew the answer.

"Yeah, it's too much of an obsession to just let go, I guess." Clyde admitted. "It's comforting to have a skill you can always depend on."

"Shouldn't you depend on your bow the most, though?" Glade pointed out. "Or the cloak, for that matter."

"Huh? Well, yeah... But..." Clyde looked away. He saw the escape in finishing what was left in his cup in one gulp and fixing his sights on the window of the inn. For a wooden building, it looked pretty comfortable with the large fireplace inside. Even if it was empty due to the moist and hot weather, it gave the inn the feeling of home, so much that Clyde noticed that he ignored what was past the window entirely. As he took a large breath, he felt himself go out of focus from the calmness of the day.

"Hey, look who's coming." Glade poked him, once again snapping him out of his thoughts. Looking behind subtly, he noticed a couple of rangers who just stepped inside the inn.

"Hey, you have coffee, right? Fetch us two cups." Merlin said as he walked in with tired steps and sat in front of the counter, next to the apprentices. His eyes were closed as he released a deep breath.

Darc sat right next to him and thanked the clerk as he received his coffee. He watched Merlin grab his own drink and take a sip. The teens next to him looked rather excited... Or frightened. Come to think of it, he seemed to remember those two from somewhere.

Suddenly, Merlin spat out some coffee in shock as he opened his eyes to notice Clyde and Glade sitting beside him.

"You! Wh-what are you two doing here!?" He exclaimed in surprise.

"Wait, were those Jacob and Bryce's... Oh..." Darc realized the situation.

"Ah, Merlin! What a surprise to see a fellow ranger here!" Glade said with a smiling face.

"What a surprise? The only surprise here is the audacity of you rascals!" Merlin burst out.

Darc put his hand on the dark haired ranger's shoulder as if to warn him about the weird looks he got from the folks inside. Merlin sighed and took another sip from his drink to regain his composure. After they were done, they paid for a room and went upstairs to talk without a crowd to listen to them.

"Weren't you guys supposed to hold down the fort in Greenfield and Redmont?" Merlin tried to ask calmly.

"Uh, allow... Allow me to explain." Clyde felt overwhelmed by the sudden change of mood.

"They forget to give you these files!" Glade chimed in as he handed Merlin the notes he got from Ernest.

The ranger's face grew even more furious after scanning through the pages.

"How did they manage to forget an important detail like that?" He looked at the apprentices with doubt.

"Everyone was in a hurry, they could have just forgot. Besides, we did what Gordon told us and delivered the files he gave to us! Everything is alright now."

Clyde noticed Glade's lie immediately, but he thought that mentioning that Ernest gave them the notes could harm the old ranger's reputation. After all, he trusted in them enough to hand them valuable information. Perhaps Glade was also trying to protect him?

"Well, why did he give it to you two instead of... I don't know... Anyone else? A courier? Besides, don't you have a Fief to keep?" Merlin kept going.

"We left our Fiefs to Lance and Archard." Clyde explained.

"See, Merlin?" Darc smiled, convinced. "They don't seem to have gone rogue or anything. It's best to assume-"

"Yeah, yeah, okay." Merlin cut him off. "I was just surprised to see you here, that's all."

"I can understand how you feel, but..." Clyde replied nervously.

"It's fine, we're rangers, after all! True rangers always trust each other, or so our motto says!" Glade chimed in cheerfully.

"Er... Pretty sure our motto is 'One riot, one ranger' but whatever." Darc chuckled.

"So, do Bryce and Jacob know that you guys are here?" Merlin asked.

"It was urgent and they told us at the last minute, so we only left after they had already left." Glade continued to spin the lies.

"Alright, you guys are hiding something from me and I don't like it." Merlin crossed his arms in frustration. "Whatever, are you going back now?"

"What? Going back?" Glade felt a wave of nervousness in his gut.

"Yeah. You gave us the files, okay. Now you can return to Araluen and take over your Fiefs." Merlin replied with a sly face.

"Well, actually..." Clyde tried to intervene again until Glade cut him off.

"We were thinking that we'd stay with you and help!"

"Help? I don't think taking apprentices on a mission like this is right." Darc said with a disappointed look on his face. "You guys can get seriously hurt."

"You'll die." Merlin explained shortly.

"What? No way! We got through here with no scratches!" Glade exploded proudly.

"No, what I mean is..." Merlin sighed yet again, tired. "You just won't survive here. Not with us, anyway. Just go back to Araluen."

"Ernest sent us here." Clyde blurted out in a moment of desperation.

"Clyde!" Glade turned to him in fury. Clyde hadn't seen him this angry in his whole life.

"Ernest? Okay, that explains everything." Merlin put his palm on his face and mumbled. "Darn, he just gets whatever he wants, that guy."

"If Ernest is in this, then he should know that they are good enough for this, right?" Darc asked to Merlin calmly.

"Yes, but he can't consider the... extras... of this mission. So no, you guys can't come either way." Merlin said decisively.

Clyde felt even more desperate watching the disappointed face of Glade. "But... We-"

"Clyde, look at me." Merlin grabbed him by both of his shoulders and looked directly at his eyes. Surprisingly, his deep blue eyes did not look like a threatening, endless chasm. It was a glance of geniune concern.

"Look at me and tell: How can I tell Bryce, with your dead body in my hands, that you died because of me allowing you to go on? How do I tell him that I couldn't say no to you, an apprentice? Do you know how much he loves you? Like his own son... No, _as_ his own son. Do you get it?" He said calmly.

"I..." Clyde couldn't say anything.

"I don't mind." Glade replied with a creepy smile on his face.

"What was that?" Merlin released Clyde and turned his face to the blond apprentice.

"I said that I don't mind." Glade looked at him with a challenging stare.

"Dying for the rangers' cause is not a bother for me. It shouldn't be a bother for Jacob, or Bryce. They can be sad, sure, but this is a part of the job. All of us knew losing meant death at any time but we still joined in the corps. How is this any different?"

Merlin stood there silently for a minute that felt like eternity. "You will sneak in anyway, won't you?"

"I will."

"Cheeky jerk." Merlin said with audible resentment. "Damn it!" He kicked the furniture in the room in fury.

"M-merlin, hold on, calm down!" Darc warned him in concern.

"Okay! Okay. You two will tag along." The dark haired ranger said once his anger subsided. "But! If you ever complain about anything, I'll report you two and get you out of the corps even if you survive."

Glade and Clyde nervously looked at each other. Glade was trying to give off a proud and responsible look, but even he had limits. Darc was completely silent. Just like Clyde, he couldn't do much but mix into the background as the rangers with intense personalities clashed.

"I wouldn't threaten you with this but I can't have you acting like you please. Not here. No hard feelings, right?"

Both of them nodded silently.

"Good. Now let's rest a little." Merlin finished the conversation. "My back is killing me."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

After waking up from a surprisingly comfortable sleep despite the recent matters, the group of rangers got out of their rooms and decided to grab some food for breakfast before leaving the town.

"So... Was the reports of any help?" Clyde asked as he bit into the fresh bread loaf in front of him. It was a light meal, but he felt really hungry after spending days gnawing on hard meat with the texture of leather.

"Sort of. I actually went out early and gathered some intel." Merlin replied. He hadn't touched his food yet. "The townsfolk don't know that much about the nobles, but there's this fuss about a 'White Ball' or something like that."

"Huh... Hold on, what is a 'White Ball'?" Clyde asked curiously.

"A ball is when the nobles-" Glade started to explain until the curly haired apprentice stopped him.

"I know what a ball is. I still come from a noble family, besmirched or not." He explained with a disappointed tone.

"Haha, sorry. I always forget about that." Glade smiled apologetically.

"I think a White Ball is when it's for maidens and their chaperones only." Darc seemed to be the one that knew the most about it, so everyone silently agreed on the definition as they ate.

"Why throw a ball like that all of a sudden, though?" Clyde wondered.

"There might be an ulterior motive, but maybe not. People want to have fun, after all." Darc answered as he began to wonder himself. "I was more focused on how many nobles will attend."

"If there's going to be that many, let's just slip into it and check everyone at once." Merlin suggested.

"Huh? We can do that?" Clyde was surprised.

"Of course we can, we're rangers!" Glade replied merrily.

"The couples' rule is a problem, though. We are four guys and the ball is more focused on women." Darc said nervously.

"It'll be fine. We'll find some couriers to go with us." Merlin said back nonchalantly.

"From where? And even if we find any, we will derail their missions and mess something else up. It's too risky." Darc rose up. Clyde noticed that he was unusually defensive, even compared to the usual friendly quarrels he had with the aloof ranger.

"It's not risky at all. We'll go in and take you two as servants. Can't we do that?" Merlin kept going.

"As I said, it is focused on couples, not just nobles. Even with the proper disguise, four people is a bit too much."

"Then one of us can go!" Glade said mischievously.

"W-well..." Darc was cornered.

"Makes sense to me. We can get Glade and leave Clyde behind for one night." The dark haired ranger approved Glade's idea.

Clyde stayed silent. He knew that Glade was better than him in missions, but Merlin spouting it out like common knowledge hurt regardless. He tried not to get his emotions in front of the objective and listened to the others.

"Hey, why just Glade?" Darc asked hastily.

"He's better."

"Merlin!" The scarved ranger burst out in anger.

"What? Clyde can find his own way there or just investigate around the town." Merlin started to feel annoyed.

"I-it's okay, Darc! It's true that I'm the worse ranger out of the two of us, I'll just find another way in." Clyde muttered nervously to end the argument.

"Well, okay... Just don't lose our trace. We wouldn't want to get separated in a situation like this." Darc sighed, conceding defeat.

After constructing the basics of their plan, Darc and Merlin left to investigate the noble houses further. The apprentices were strictly told to stay in town, so there wasn't much to do but train.

"Bullseye!" Clyde cheerfully looked at the arrow stuck in the middle of the tree the apprentice aimed at. Unlike their usual practice, the two of them picked far away targets on purpose to increase the difficulty.

"You don't need to yell like that, you know." Glade said as he chuckled. "It makes you look unprofessional."

"Well, if you didn't strike each of them with a bullseye you'd shout when you got one too." Clyde retorted.

"Maybe I would." Glade scored another perfect shot as he spoke. "Whew... Is Merlin back yet?"

"Yes I am." The dark haired ranger appeared from behind.

"Yes, we are." Darc said as he glared at Merlin.

"Gah! I didn't notice..." Glade looked disappointed.

"Merlin, Darc! Welcome back." Clyde smiled at them sincerely. He was excited about the mission despite his obscure role in it.

"Let me guess, the left tree is Glade and the other one is Clyde, right?" Merlin pointed towards the trees.

Clyde and Glade approved with their heads.

"I guessed so. The gap between you two isn't closing any time soon, I guess. At long distances, anyway." The tetchy ranger walked back towards the town and signaled the rest of them to follow.

"We're moving soon, just one last plan rehearsal and it's the last night we spend here."

"That was quick... I don't want to think about the boiling road again..." Darc yawned.

"Maybe you should remove the scarf and stop being a living blanket." Merlin teased him.

"Says the guy who stole my blanket yesterday night."

"Did not."

"You did, you diiid!"

"Did not!"

As the two of them kept their quarrel, Clyde sighed and followed the group after picking the arrows from the trees.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Okay, ready to leave?" Darc said as he checked his equipment for the last time.

Everyone nodded as they hopped on their horses.

"Are we back on business? Hurray!" Gale said excitedly.

"Darn, the horses are at it again." Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's better that they have the stamina!" Darc replied, optimistic.

"Uh, we should get a move on." Clyde said as he grabbed the reins. The rumors of the White Ball were easy to find but arriving there wouldn't be as easy, according to the duo of seasoned rangers. Everyone got ready for a long trip and started riding.

The journey was going eventless as everyone silently fell deep in thought. The horses weren't very eager to talk either, as the sun set slowly, taking the color of the pale yellow grass, leaving a gloomy, bluish husk behind.

As Merlin momentarily eyed behind the road, the wind went through his messy hair, relieving him of the hot weather for a second.

It would be very calming if he hadn't seen three ominous figures approaching them from afar.

"Crap! No, not again..." The surprised ranger bit his lip nervously.

"Merlin, what's-" Darc was about to say until he saw the Scourgers coming through. "Oh dear."

"Clyde, Glade, move out!" Merlin commanded suddenly.

"What, why? What's going on?" Asked Glade.

"Get away!" Merlin yelled.

"Glade." Clyde looked at the blond apprentice in the eye and the two of them nodded, changing their direction to outside the road.

"Okay... You ready?" Merlin took out his twin saxe blades and gave a sharp look at Darc.

"It doesn't matter. We have to be!" Darc took out his bow. He had prepared it beforehand, unlike Merlin.

"How fast are they? I doubted that we would be found again this quick." He mumbled to himself as he took a quick look towards the horsemen.

They started to crack their whips threateningly as they got closer and closer.

"Their horses are faster!? How are they catching up?" Glade was dumbfounded. These people, who appeared out of nowhere were now assaulting the couple of rangers with long leather whips. None of Ernest's notes or advice mentioned such an abnormality.

"They're three people... We have to lend them a hand!" Clyde said as he held onto his medicine bag with tense hands.

"Actually... Since we're behind them, we can get them caught in a pincer movement." Glade proposed as he pulled the reins of Pegasus slightly to charge ahead.

"Wait up!" Clyde went forward as well.

"Look at them, they're set on separating the riders from the mounts. If we get them off their horses, those whips are useless." He pointed out.

"That's it! Do you have anything useful for that?" Glade asked excitedly.

"Let me check... Er..." The curly haired apprentice ran through the bag to find a semi-translucent, yellowish fluid in a small vial.

"Okay, just coat your arrows in this!" He handed the vial to his friend.

"You go on ahead!" Glade pointed forwards, watching Clyde go as he opened the vial.

The Scourgers repeatedly attacked with the whips, not giving the rangers any time to counterattack.

"Why don't you give us a break? Your noodles aren't impressive." Merlin tried to break their spirit for an opening, but they were as silent as ever. The one in the front swung the whip around with such strength that even Merlin couldn't predict its range. Just as he was going to attack, an arrow pierced the arm of the man, making him drop the whip at once. Just a few seconds later, it went numb, disturbing his balance and causing him to fall by Darc's arrows.

"Wh- I missed!" Glade said in visible distress.

"What do you mean?" Clyde asked from behind.

"I... I was aiming at the heart..." Glade took a moment to shake it off.

Distrupted by the sudden attack, the other Scourgers looked behind as Glade charged forwards, hitting another one with the drugged arrow.

"Clyde, that was the last one!" Glade warned him.

The curly haired apprentice charged through, then commanded his mount to stay up and still to let him aim well.

However, just as he shot the arrow, the enemy dodged the shot by ducking at the perfect time.

"Huh!?" Clyde was sure he did everything correctly, yet still the arrow missed completely.

The last Scourger furiously swung his weapon and caught Clyde by his arm. The barbed surface of the tips hurt him intensely as the leather pushed into his skin.

"Argh!" He dropped the bow in pain.

Just as the Scourger was about to pull him off his mount and drag him across the ground, a sharp blade cut through the weapon.

The man turned around in surprised as another knife went right into his stomach, ending his life instantly.

All off them jumped off their horses. Both Merlin and Darc looked very tense.

"Ahh, ow... Just what was that?" Clyde held his arm tightly as he whimpered.

"Yeah, mounted soldiers with whips capable of dodging our arrows? That's not normal. Even for a ranger's point of view." Glade said as if he was protesting.

"That's... Let's just continue for now." Merlin said silently.

"T-that's not fair, we told you our secret!" Clyde glared at him angrily as Glade joined him, nodding at his words.

"Guys, please. We need to find somewhere safe to rest. At least... just wait until then." Darc said with a painful expression.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

The evening breeze came early, cooling down the weather. As the grass waved around, the group lit up a small fire to cook coffee. After readying the sleeping bags, Merlin sat down and leaned his back on a tree stump, breathing deeply as if he wanted to feel the relaxing breeze all over his body. His eyes sleepily watched the rest of the rangers.

"Whaat!? Glade, you used up almost all of it! No wonder they collapsed like straw dolls in seconds..." Clyde disappointedly looked at the nearly empty vial.

"Sorry, sorry. I'll just buy you the ingredients later." Glade snickered.

"It's not something you can buy, but since you offered... Hmm..." Clyde smiled mischievously and crossed his arms triumphantly.

"Okay, the coffee's on you for the rest of the year." He poked the chest of the blond ranger jokingly.

"Huh, a year!? You're kidding, right? I-it's not that expensive, right?" Glade yelled in panic.

"Clyde, answer me! Clydeee!" He chased the boy who snickered as he delved into the forest.

"Go get some wild game while you're out!" Merlin yelled at them from where he sat and watched as Darc took the place next to him.

"Close one, right?"

"Yup." Merlin checked the coffee pot over the fire as he nodded ignorantly.

"Hey, should we really light a fire in this situation?" Darc questioned.

"Pssh. They lost at least five more of their best to us. They can't afford to send more. This was their last gamble." Merlin explained.

"Well, not like I don't want some good food myself." Darc smiled.

"We brought it!" Clyde and Glade came back after a while, carrying a large, skinned rabbit with them.

"That was somewhat quick." Merlin said, unimpressed.

"I picked some mushrooms on the side!" Clyde showed them some brown mushrooms.

"Oh course you did. Just be careful not to poison us or anything." Merlin replied instantly.

"We'll handle it! Hey Clyde, watch me." Glade said cheerfully as he prepared the meat.

The two of them cooked a pot full of rabbit stew with delicious seasoned mushrooms diced in it. The tender rabbit meat had taken the juice of all the ingredients. The group enjoyed the meal as everyone drunk their coffee.

"You guys know how to whip up something nice! This reminds me of my time as an apprentice..." Darc went back to his memories as he ate.

"Meh, I don't really know if it's that good." Merlin said as he handed Glade his empty bowl.

"Seconds?"

"Yes." The tetchy ranger barely managed not to drool.

"Hey Clyde, how's the arm?" Darc asked the curly haired apprentice as he sat next to him, having finished his meal.

"Ah, it's fine, I took care of it." Clyde answered meekly. He still wasn't fully used to the new ranger.

"Let me check." He took a look at the wounds on the arm.

"Ow!" Clyde pulled it back slightly.

"It hurts a lot at first, but it'll be just fine." Darc revealed his own wound to him.

"See? We're wound buddies." He smiled gently. Clyde smiled back hesitantly.

"Darc, are you worried about me?" He asked.

"Me? Nah, not at all. Just checking." Darc replied, looking away.

"Hey, let me see that wound." Clyde took his hand and inspected it.

"Aah, this won't do at all! Who treated this? You don't slap that warmweed everywhere..." He started to treat the wound again as Darc stood there without a clue as to what's going on.

"There, that's better... I think." Clyde wrapped the wound back and released a sigh of relief.

"I didn't know you were that good at treating wounds." Darc said, impressed.

"My uncle was used to this stuff. He was a good teacher." Clyde replied briefly.

"Okay! Everybody listen to me." Glade suddenly sprung up after cleaning the bowls and putting them away.

"Huh, what's up?" Darc asked curiously.

"I think it's about time you guys explain just what the hell was up with those horsemen." Glade replied with a deadly serious tone.

"Ugh, you just wouldn't forget about it, would you?" Merlin scoffed at him, disrupting his comfortable position.

"They're just some bounty hunters sent after us." Merlin started talking.

"They're the Crescent Scourgers." Darc opened up suddenly.

"Darc!" Merlin turned at him furiously.

"Crescent Scourgers? What is that?" Clyde questioned.

Darc sighed loudly. "Look, you two. We're affiliated..." He stopped for a moment. "Used to be affiliated... with a certain group called The Blue Moon Association."

"I don't get it... but that sounds shady." Glade blurted out.

"Seriously, Darc..." Merlin took a few seconds to get his composure back. "Okay. The Association is a big secret. They basically kill anyone that has ever heard of them, and they are big on any kingdom, including ours." Merlin took on the explanation process. "They are bad guys, they're after political power, they're stronger than all of you. And yes, we used to be a part of it."

"But now you're not?" Clyde uttered, dumbfounded. "Which means..."

"They were trying to murder you two specifically." Glade completed Clyde's sentence.

"But... For how long? And what do they do exactly to get this kind of strength... I don't get it." He added.

"Guys... We should leave it at that. I'm terribly sorry but even this much is going too far." Darc said hesitantly.

"You see, we didn't want you in because you'd be hunted down as well. Even if one Scourger returns to give info to them, you guys will be in the blacklist forever." Merlin sighed.

"So, you were just trying to protect us." Clyde uttered silently.

"Yes, as always." Merlin nodded.

"We didn't make things easy for you then." Glade crossed his arms.

"It's fine. You guys are rangers, after all." Darc reassured him.

"But... Don't the others..." Clyde started speaking before being interrupted by Merlin.

"No, Bryce and Jacob don't know about it. Nor does anyone else in the Corps, for that matter."

Darc started speaking after a moment of silence. "We didn't have a choice in joining them, but-"

"Oh no, you _did_ have a choice. I didn't though." Merlin said with some resentment.

"That's not wrong, but let's not bring the past into this." Darc said with saddened eyes.

"Anyway, the rest of the road may or may not be safe. You guys still in?" Merlin asked, changing the topic.

"Of course we are!" Clyde said with determination.

"We wouldn't have it any other way. What is a ranger without the courage?" Glade nodded cheerfully.

"You two are going to die." Merlin shook his head in exaggerated disappointment.

"Well, don't be like that, we need to attend that ball." Darc chimed in.

"Yeah, you'll live your noble fantasy for once then." Merlin poked fun at the scarfed ranger.

"Ugh, you're horrible!" Darc argued back as the two apprentices watched, seeing things return to their usual way slowly. Even though this new mystery was revealed, Clyde and Glade felt like there was a long road to go, in every meaning of the word.


	31. Chapter 29: Monster Whisperers

"Where are we even going?" Asked Jacob once again.

The couple of rangers were in the rift for more than a day now. While their eyes were used to the darkness, both of them missed the clean, bright and breezy surface over the abyss they were buried in.

"We got enough info to report back to the Corps, don't we?" Jacob continued.

Bryce shook his head. "No, we still have yet to find that robed person. No doubt they have something to do with the Kalkara."

"Yeah, yeah. Those monsters are a pain in the ass for sure." Jacob conceded defeat. "Hey, we can rest for a while if you're tired. I don't feel nice letting you carry me all the way through, you know." He added with visible regret.

"Sure. Let's give it a rest for today, then." Bryce let the paralyzed ranger down and looked for a safe spot to rest.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

The old rangers looked around as they chewed through their leathery dinner. The quality food was also one of the good things about the surface, but who were these adept travellers to complain?

"Are your legs better, Jacob?" Bryce asked between his bites.

"Sort of... Not really. I dunno, still can't feel anything over there." The blond ranger replied.

Bryce sighed. "We have to keep this quick. These monsters are pretty used to this dark place, but I sure am not."

"You're telling me? I'm bolting off this place the moment these legs of mine start working again." Jacob laughed in a pessimistic manner. "If they ever do, that is."

"I wonder how they do that... thing." Bryce wondered. "I bet Clyde could explain that in a second."

"Well, at least those runts are doing better than we do." Jacob smirked.

"Yes, no doubt they can handle taking care of the Fiefs by now." The long haired ranger nodded. "Merlin and Darc, too. Gallica shouldn't be too hard."

"They've always been all business, it'll be fine." Said Jacob as he tried to curl into his blanket. "I've gotta hit the hay now."

"Huh, you're early to bed." Bryce said as he prepared his own equipment. "I'll take the first patrol, then."

Soon enough, the two of them ended another dreadful day in the abyss.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"Jacob, Jacob!" Bryce shook the blond ranger intensely. "They're here."

"I'm up." He woke up instantly and the duo gathered their camping gear and readied their weapons. Bryce still had no arrows to shoot and the knives were dulled, so he picked up his flint to threaten them with sparks instead. While the equipment could be taken care of, with the current state of Jacob they could not fight the army of monsters directly. Both of them knew that it was running away or death. Just a bit of information about the controllers of the monsters would be perfect, but they also had to protect their own lives. With these dire conditions in hand, the two of them eyed the army of Kalkaras and Wargals looking around.

They still hadn't noticed them at all but one little noise would be enough. Even Bryce picking up Jacob could alert them with their combined height. We definitely have to act quick and precisely, thought Bryce.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" A malicious, unmistakably human voice echoed in the abyss.

"Bryce, pick me up. Quick!" Jacob signaled.

Bryce nodded and swiftly got the ranger on his back again, albeit quietly.

"You came all this way just to be scaredy cats the moment I show up? Don't you know how rude that is?" The annoying, childish voice continued to mock them.

Without giving into the taunt, the rangers moved quickly without alerting the monsters at first, but both Bryce and Jacob knew that they would be noticed soon after due to their height. If they were going to run, they needed to do it immediately and nonstop.

After planning their escape route, the long haired ranger readied his legs and started to dash towards the empty end of the rift.

"There they are, there they are! Get them! The Whisperers command you!" The voice was heard again as the stampede of the monsters began with a much scarier noise.

Looking aside swiftly, Bryce noticed that the short person was hidden in a crimson robe. He didn't have much time to think about it as the robed person threw a bag in front of them immediately.

The moment the bag made contact with the ground, it opened and released charcoal and ashes everywhere, scattering across the path as a smoke screen.

Bryce braced himself and ran past the cloud of smoke squinting his eyes. Whatever that was in front of them couldn't be worse than the army of monsters right behind.

"Bryce, look out!" Jacob warned him.

Just as he opened his eyes wider, Bryce noticed two more robed figures, one atop a cliff on the side of the rift and one in front of the rangers.

Just as he noticed them, the enemy standing on the cliff pointed a crossbow towards the duo and shot without suspense. Bryce was about to duck but doing so would risk Jacob getting hit, so the ranger made a sudden move to his right instead, barely dodging the small, likely poisonous arrow.

As the robed man furiously started to prepare the weapon to shoot again, Bryce dashed right into the other person blocking the road and tackled them aside. He had no time to play nice and calm. He kept running while panting from being stressful and tired.

"Yeah, more people after our hide. Just what we needed." Jacob sighed.

"We cannot afford to make a single mistake. We've got to make it out of here!" Bryce said in an encouraging manner.

"Well, about that... I know you're trying hard to save us both." Jacob suddenly started talking in a melancholic tone.

"You can drop the ol' Jacob whenever you want."

"What!?" Bryce almost shouted in surprise. "There's no way I'm doing that. I'd rather die."

"Well... even if I make it back, it's not clear if my legs will work the way they used to be. I won't be of any help." Jacob continued talking.

"Don't be silly, Jacob. Being sacrificial will get us nowhere. No matter what, I won't leave you behind." Bryce said confidently as he started to run faster.

"It's no use forcing you to be selfish, huh..." Jacob gave up. "Then we better make it out of here. I've gotta pay you back somehow."

As the ranger kept running as fast as he could, the monsters behind them marched almost as fast. At this rate, they were going to be caught. Bryce scanned his surroundings desperately as he felt the stampede of the Wargal army get closer. The path was taking a small curve to the left just a few steps ahead.

"Then the coffee's on you next time." The tall ranger uttered as he pushed himself to his limits and turned around the corner.

"Let's see now..." Bryce let Jacob down and checked his equipment to decide on his plan. Judging by the speed of the army, he had around half a minute or so to either continue his sprint or counterattack.

"Bryce, what's going on?" Asked Jacob as he laid his back on the rocky surface of the rift.

"I'm setting up a wall." Bryce said as he laid out the hempen rope he took out on the path. The length was enough to cover from one point to another, which relieved the ranger slightly.

"Do we have anything else that's flammable?" Asked Bryce.

Catching up on the idea, Jacob smirked. "Just put whatever you find. My bag is yours."

Strengthening the layer of rope with some cloth and a pint of alcohol he found from his friend's bag, Bryce readied the flint in his hand, looking for the army to appear.

Counting the seconds, Bryce felt the footsteps get closer and closer, until he saw the army charging right at them.

"Now!" Jacob yelled and as soon as he opened his mouth, Bryce lit the flammable barrier with the flint in his hands.

Watching the monsters back away from the bright, tall pillar of fire in fear, Bryce quickly took Jacob and continued his escape.

"That ought to hold them for a while." Bryce said in triumph, watching the sky above get bigger and bigger as he kept running. Seeing as the path was getting narrow by the time he thought they got their traces lost, Bryce realized that they were getting close to a dead end and let his friend rest on the ground once again.

"Hey Jacob, your legs..."

"Still can't move." Jacob sighed. "But I think it's getting better. I can feel pins and needles on my calves."

"Really? It may not be permanent, after all!" The ranger said in glee.

"Let's hope it gets better before they catch up." Jacob replied as he tried his hardest to get up, but he fell down the moment he did so.

"We'll climb back up. Just wait a lil' and see." He said, laying on the ground.

"Glad to see you get your spirit back." Bryce smiled as he helped his friend up.

Once they get back on the surface, it would be child's play to ask a scout group to investigate the area. We just have to be patient, thought Bryce.

The end of their mission was near.


	32. Chapter 30: Truth That Hurts

The sun was rising and starting to illuminate everything around the four rangers riding towards the horizon, having gone through the most of the road leading to the chateau for the White Ball.

"We're getting closer!" Glade said in glee.

"That would be relieving if you didn't repeat it every few seconds." Merlin replied under his breath.

"I hope we will arrive on time... No, we need to go even earlier." Darc mumbled to himself. "We need to prepare clothes and even if we get that done, Clyde still has very little chance to make it to the ball."

"He'll manage." Merlin shrugged. "It's a simple mission, anyway. We're just gonna investigate so he may as well stay away from it."

"I'll try to make it there somehow!" Clyde said with an enthusiastic voice. "Er, even if I don't, I'll make sure to investigate elsewhere." He added uncertainly.

"Don't worry, after dealing with those Scourger folks, the ball will be as easy as scoring a bullseye!" Glade smiled triumphantly. "I'm sure Jacob and Bryce will be proud of us when we're back. Maybe Ernest, too..." He crossed his arms, nodding.

"Hey now, don't take it for granted. There might be some surprises." Darc intervened.

"Sure, but a ranger should be on guard all the time, anyway." Glade said as he swept his hair off his forehead. The town was slowly entering their slowly growing field of vision in the dawn.

"Rangers should know when to stay quiet as well, so keep your mouth shut. We're arriving soon." Merlin silenced the others as he pointed to the buildings appearing in the horizon.

The town looked much more refined and clean than the previous one, with wooden houses supported with stone around everywhere along with shops, bakeries and taverns that seemed to be larger than the common houses. The chateau was very easy to spot with its large size and luxurious look, bit of a walk away from the town. People, mostly nobles, were running around the streets in hurry, babbling about the ball as their eyes searched for a tailor's shop. Silently watching them, Clyde jumped off Gale and immediately looked for a place to leave the horses.

"You think we could convince them to keep our horses in their stables?" Glade asked. "It sounds painful to leave Pegasus to a small barn while we're going to a chateau, not fair for a ranger horse."

"Sure. Let's try." Merlin was about to say, but Darc cut his sentence.

"Wait, Merlin, shouldn't we find some good clothing first? Also, even before then, how will we even get inside? We haven't found a woman to go with us, we'll stick out like Clyde's weird wiggly antenna hair." He started to list the inconveniences one by one.

"Hey!" Clyde yelled as he took offense to the last sentence. "But yeah, we never found a solution to that, now that Darc mentioned it..." He added deep in thought.

"We don't need to." Merlin said curtly.

"Huh? Do you know someone we could tag along with? An acquaintance of a ranger, perhaps?" Glade started talking excitedly.

Darc's face went a slightly lighter colour. "Merlin, a-are you..." He anxiously held his scarf to his face, locking his gazes into the deep blue eyes of the tetchy ranger. Merlin gazed back at him triumphantly.

"We don't need to, because, after all..." Merlin showed a sly smile.

"Darc isn't a guy."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

As the morning breeze went through the mane of Pfeil, the horse lifted its face from the grass and gazed into the abyss for a moment. Hearing a slight sound, both Pfeil and Thunder's ears perked up. It was from the cliff side, the tumbling sound of small rocks, heard as a single arm appeared in the surface.

Pfeil ran straight towards the familiar hand and pulled it through with some effort. Bryce, finally above ground, pet the smoky cream coat of the horse briefly before he went back to help a struggling Jacob out of the cliff.

"Haah, I thought for a second that we were dead meat." Jacob wheezed as he finally stepped on the trusty surface of the world above. After being in there for several days, the fresh sunlight hitting his face and the breeze sweeping through his hair made him want to kiss the ground. Bryce was feeling the same, as the two of them smiled as their eyes met each other. That smile soon left its place to loud, hearty laughter, startling the horses a little.

"Now all there's left is to report all this back to the Corps." Bryce slowly adjusted his legs to ride Pfeil. He was feeling quite tired, but he could surely go for a while on horseback.

"That's the easy part." Jacob snickered as he got on his horse as well. "I'm still surprised that I have both my legs in one piece."

"That paralyzing monster... That is, the Kalkara. We should let them know as soon as possible." Bryce tilted his head down as he thought to himself.

"Can't forget to mention they burn like fresh firewood." Jacob added.

"Seems like we missed a lot. Wasn't it hard without us?" Thunder mocked the rangers.

"Nah, I think we're better off not bringing any horses next time round." Jacob scoffed.

"You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding." The golden horse suddenly felt desperate.

"Yeah, no way we're going down that hell of a place again. Not me."

"You're pretty silent, Pfeil. Aren't you feeling chatty like Thunder?" Bryce asked as he gazed through the map he had just took out.

"I'm worried about the younger ones." The horse shook its mane.

"Meh, they should be fine." Jacob rolled his eyes. "Though, if I know a bit about Glade, that runt should be chasing Merlin through Gallica by now."

"Could you imagine that they actually did that?" Bryce chuckled as he read the map again. "Clyde's probably missing his mentor now." He thought about home for a moment.

"He better get used to stuff like this, things are boiling up everywhere nowadays." Jacob mentioned as he exhaled with frustration.

Bryce could only nod as he fixed his eyes on the road. Both of them just wanted to make it back home safely. However, in their hearts, they wanted to see their apprentices again, first and foremost.

"Hey, did you miss Glade back then?" Bryce shifted his gaze to his friend for a second.

"Oh, shut up..." Jacob looked the opposite way as they stood silent. "Fine, just a little."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"W-what!?" Clyde almost yelled in shock.

"Oh, okay." Glade said, unsurprised.

"Merlin! You... You..." Darc, ignoring the reaction of the apprentices, walked straight up to Merlin in a furious manner.

"I thought you respected me at least this much! I guess I was wrong, weren't I? You're every bit of selfish and rude as your old self!" Poking the ranger's chest with each sentence, Darc pushed him into a corner.

"H-hey now, don't fight... Er..." Clyde tried to dissolve the tension with a weak, shaky voice, but he was completely ignored.

"What? You knew that there wasn't any other way, right? We would have gone with this plan anyway." Merlin shrugged.

"You didn't even ask me! And here I was, wanting to be your friend again, after all these years... I wish I just never spoke to you in the first place!" Darc burst out in fury.

"Jane, come on. Cool it already." Merlin uttered, annoyed. "We're going to go to the ball, yeah? We can't do it without you."

"Well, you'll have to find another way then, Merlin Atwood!" Darc slapped Merlin's face with a hand shaking in anger and bolted off mumbling as Clyde and Glade watched with their mouths wide open.

"Merlin, just what was that?" Clyde asked with a worried face.

"It's what you heard. We can go now that the problem is solved." Merlin replied. He wasn't looking at the apprentice's face.

"But didn't Darc run off? Also, who is Jane? What's going o-" Clyde was bombarding him with questions, but Merlin didn't stop to listen, walking away.

"She'll calm down after a while. You guys just prepare yourselves for the mission." He said as he disappeared from clear view.

"Merlin, wait!" Clyde dashed after him, leaving Glade alone. The blond apprentice sighed loudly.

"So, where do we go for a servant's clothes?"

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Running after the elusive ranger, Clyde turned around countless streets, panting as he forced himself to keep his eye on the movements of Merlin's cloak. Finally, he was able to corner him in a dead end in the empty street covered by the wooden houses.

"You aren't looking for a tailor, aren't you?" Clyde looked at Merlin as he breathed heavily, frustrated and exhausted. "You're just avoiding us."

"It's because you're being extra annoying today." Merlin countered Clyde's stare with his own.

"What's going on between you two?" Clyde asked with a sorrowful face.

"Does it have anything to do with you?" Merlin replied as his stare got more intense.

"No, but-"

"No 'but's. All that matters for you is that we will be able to go on with the mission. That's it."

"But I don't want you two to be angry at each other!"

"There's nothing you can do about it! What do you think you are, a wish granting fairy? A diplomat? Stay out of it and go manage your stuff!" Merlin burst with anger. Clyde backed down by a few steps in fear, but then he moved forward as his eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm your friend! Isn't that enough for you?"

"First of all, you're only my friend's apprentice." Merlin exhaled in fury as he crossed is arms. "And no, that's not enough."

"Ugh, why are you being so difficult?"

"Which of us is being difficult here?"

"Y-you know what?" Clyde stomped his foot as he closed his eyes and started yelling. "You are! It's you! It's you who brought that up out of nowhere and now it's you who's dragging this on and on!"

"I did it for the mission!" Merlin fought back.

"You could have asked Darc!"

"She'd say no."

"Then why did you do this!? I don't get it, what is so hard about asking Darc before revealing that secret? Aren't you guys friends? She probably trusted you with that secret for heaven knows how long and you shattered her trust with one sentence! What kind of ranger are you!?" Clyde cornered Merlin in the wall as he walked towards him, screaming his words at his face, while his own face went almost completely red from sheer anger.

"What kind of ranger am I?" Merlin's irises seemed like they were turned into black, hollow holes as he locked his eyes on Clyde's. "What do you know about being a ranger? You're just an apprentice. A pathetic one, at that."

"I-" Clyde tried to speak, but couldn't.

"You're having trouble speaking in your first year, got abducted on your next, even now you're barely able to make a proper shot and now you're telling me what kind of ranger I am? Who are _you_ to speak?"

Clyde couldn't say anything. He felt his spirit break.

"Just a kid. That's who you are. I bet Bryce took you in just because he pitied you."

"No he didn't! What do you know about Bryce!?" That was the last straw for Clyde.

"He said so himself, that's why I know." Merlin smirked. He knew that he said the last word of the argument.

Clyde didn't say anything back. As he stepped back, he looked at Merlin and left, disappointed.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

"A servant's clothes? What do you mean, young man?" The woman working at the tailor shop looked at the glittering brown eyes of the boy in front of her, confused.

"What do servants wear around here? Isn't there an uniform or something like that?" Glade asked again. He looked just as confused as the person in front of him.

The tailor shop was full of other people, some trying to pick a dress, others trying them on, tailors sprinting from one customer to other, all making the shop quite a mess. Glade felt hot and tired just from experiencing this atmosphere. As he opened his mouth to answer the woman, a customer that was just trying on a frilled white dress approached the two of them and turned her head to Glade. As his eyes locked onto hers, the young ranger recognized Darc in her new attire. Now without the large scarf, he could see what Merlin was talking about. Darc was, without a doubt, a woman.

"Could I help the young man a little?" She turned to the tailor as the woman nodded.

"Please go on, dear. I have to help another customer for now." The tailor walked away as Glade scratched his head, his eyes searching for an outfit in the busy, mixed up shop.

"Darc, that's good timing, just fitting of a ranger!" Glade smiled cheerfully.

"Ah, I couldn't watch you wander around clueless." She giggled. "And I won't mind you guys calling me Jane now. It's my given name, after all."

"I'd rather use Darc, I'm used to it. I don't want to think of you as a stranger." Glade said with a blank stare.

"What's with those eyes, are you down or something?" Darc asked, concerned.

"No. I was thinking _you_ would be down, but you seem to be fine." Glade explained. "Unless you're acting like you're fine."

"You're too sharp for your own good, Glade." Darc gave him a bitter smile. "Let's pick your clothes for now."

As Darc suggested basic, yet comfortable looking tunics to Glade, he kept talking to her, only stopping momentarily to nod or shake his head to the clothes she showed to him.

"What's going on between you two?" He asked in between his words.

"We used to be close friends back then... Erm... When we were still in training." Darc uttered as she shoved a green tunic to Glade's face on accident. "Sorry! Er... but that's it, really. We met again after we became rangers, but..."

"Hang on, what's this training you're talking about? If you met after you became rangers, wouldn't you have already finished the trials?" Glade questioned.

"I mean... You know... Nothing really escapes your hearing." Darc sighed. "Before that, we were still with... That... Organization. Ever since we were small children." She admitted.

"I knew it, so you two were childhood friends." Glade smirked in triumph.

"You could say that." Darc shrugged.

"Are you still mad at him?" He asked as he struggled to try on the gray clothes that were a bit too small for him.

"Yes, very much... I just want him to stop ignoring me, you know... My feelings, my existence... I wonder how much of it matters to him." Darc looked away as she let out a big sigh. "I used to look up to him, you know. Follow him anywhere."

"I see. I didn't know that you thought like that." Glade said as he nodded. "So, will you go through with the plan?"

"Of course. I can't let my feelings get in the way of the mission. I'll just make sure to let off some steam later." Darc nodded back. "It doesn't fit a ranger to abandon a mission, does it?" She smiled.

"No, not at all!" Glade smiled back.

"I'll have to talk to him sooner or later... But until then, you guys just don't bother with it. It's between Merlin and I, after all." Darc looked away once more.

"Say..." Glade started to talk as he felt the black tunic Darc gave him fit perfectly on. "What is being a ranger to you?"

"Ah... I..." Darc started thinking as she signaled a tailor to come and take Glade's measurements.

"No answer?" Glade chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Darc was confused.

"Nothing, it's just that... That reminded me of someone else." Glade smiled.

"What did they say to that question, then? Also nothing?" Darc asked mischievously.

"Yes, he couldn't answer either. But now I know the answer, whether he knows it or not." Glade looked at the distance, as if someone else was there. "For him, it's family. For me, it's sacrifice. Such different worlds, don't you think?"

"What are you even talking about?" Darc asked, even more confused.

"Ahaha, just rambling. Don't mind me." Glade laughed awkwardly. "The greatest sacrifice I take might be more than just my life, but I'm ready." He said silently, but Darc was already talking to the tailor about the price of the clothes. He sighed and turned his face away once more.

"Hey Glade! I bought your clothes, come take them!" Darc yelled at him from afar as he realized that he spaced out for a moment.

"I'm coming!"

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

The sun slowly lost its intensity as time went on. Looking around, Clyde strolled through the streets, lifting his head and feeling the gentle breeze go through his hair as he desperately thought about how he could make it to the ball. Could he sneak in or disguise himself? Or maybe he should just give up and start investigating the town?

With his head full of thoughts, the boy stumbled upon a tavern that released a catchy tune from inside.

"Maybe I should have a cup of coffee first..." He entered the building with hesitant steps.

Inside the tavern, he was first met with a moist, hot wave of air that he was used to, but still didn't like. There was too much noise coming from all directions, so he decided to shut off his head to his surroundings and just enjoy the coffee he had just ordered.

Just as if anything could go worse, the coffee didn't taste quite right either. Drinking the watered down liquid, he found himself wishing for a cup of Bryce's milk coffee. However, even thinking about Bryce couldn't make him feel happy at that point, as all it could do was remind him of Merlin's words. 'I bet Bryce took you in just because he pitied you.'

It wasn't the words that hurt him, it was the accuracy of the words. Just one sentence, reminding him of everything he could hate about himself. Was this Merlin's doing, or his own? He didn't know nor wanted to think about it, so he just gave his focus to the bard's song instead.

Although he couldn't make out the lyrics, it felt a bit better listening to the soft voice of the girl sitting far away in the tavern. It felt familiar. In fact, a bit too familiar.

"Barbara!?" Clyde lifted his face, he hadn't noticed that he buried it in his arms as he laid on the counter. He looked in the direction the song came from and quickly got up, moving towards her. He felt the questioning eyes of the other customers on him, but he ignored them.

"Barbara!" Just as he arrived, the song had come to an end. The crowd surrounding the brown, wavy haired young woman cheered in excitement.

"Thank you, thank you! Be right back after a break, folks!" Barbara waved her hand and stepped away from where she was seated. As she moved, her eyes met with the blue eyes of the apprentice.

She tapped his hand as she signalled him to follow behind. Having nothing else to do, Clyde decided to go with her.

After a few minutes' walk, they made it to a silent, calm spot with soft, green grass they could rest on.

"So... Uh... Long time no see." Clyde fiddled around with his fingers as he spoke.

"Yeah. I've missed talking to you."

"What were you... Uh... How did you get here?" Clyde asked nervously.

"What? I'm a travelling bard, silly!" Barbara let out a hearty laugh. "Kingdoms and cities don't matter to me. I'm here to sing and play." She smiled gently. "We've got a lot to catch up on, don't we?"

"Yes, w-we do..." Clyde took a deep breath. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh, you know. Playing a song here and there. Usual bard stuff. I can't say I've had any colorful adventures ever since that time we first met." Barbara said as she played with her hair. "What about you?"

"Uhm... Nothing much. Usual ranger stuff." Clyde replied shyly.

"Pray tell, what about 'ranger stuff' is usual?" Barbara laughed. "Come on, aren't you here for a mission or something?"

"Well... I don't want to get you involved." Clyde admitted. "We want to attend the White Ball, but I don't have a partner to go with."

"Oh, that's unfortunate." Barbara crossed her arms. "I'd like to go there, it's the dream of a young woman like myself to enjoy the noble life, even if it's just one night." She sighed in exaggerated disappointment.

"Really? I didn't know... Well, I guess we're both blocked out of this." Clyde laid his back to the grass as he exhaled the breath that he didn't notice he was holding.

"Actually, we don't have to be." The bard laughed mischievously.

"Huh?" Clyde turned his face to her in confusion.

"Ugh, just go with me, silly!" Barbara blurted out.

"What!?" Clyde almost choked on his own spit. "Wait, r-really?"

"Yes, really. Let's be the best couple in the ball room!" Barbara giggled but as she saw Clyde speechless, she wanted to try harder.

"I know a lot about fashion, you know. I can make you fit in with the crowd just fine. I'm good with people too!"

"Y-yeah, but..."

"But what?"

"I mean... Is it okay to go with me?"

"Why not? You're talking like you're a leftover dish in a plate." She looked at Clyde with a disappointed face.

"I... I don't know... I never... This is..." Clyde diverted his gaze from the girl in front of him. She suddenly held his head from the sides and gently turned it to face hers.

"Clyde, you're so silly. I want to go with you, because I like _you._" She smiled as she released his face. Clyde was stunned.

"I... That's nice..." His face was getting more pink by second. "Because... Er... I want to go with you, too... Yeah, I want to!"

"There! That's the smile I'm looking for!" The bard laughed. "Meet up with me to buy some clothes tomorrow. Don't make me wait, alright?" She winked at the boy as she rose from her place and walked back towards her stage as he watched silently.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Just as she waved goodbye to a tired Glade as he slowly walked back to the inn for a drink, Darc decided to take a small stroll on the streets. Perhaps that would help put her thoughts aside for a moment, maybe even fetch some affordable jewellery for the big event.

As her eyes traced the empty side of the road, she saw a familiar figure, his face cupped in one hand, playing with his ginger hair with the other. He didn't seem to notice her presence until Darc decided to sit next to him.

"Hey Clyde, what's the matter?" She tried to ask as gently as possible.

"Ah, it's nothing, nothing at all. I'm just... Watching the streets... Yeah." Clyde said nervously. Though, he seemed to understand that his act didn't cut it, so he sighed loudly afterwards.

"Did you talk with Merlin?" Darc asked a question she knew the answer to. Clyde nodded without saying anything.

"You know... About the two of us..." Darc planned to tell some of her story to calm him down a little, but Clyde cut her off just as she was about to speak.

"Can I ask... Oh, is... was there something you..." He became flustered.

"It's okay, go on." Darc smiled softly. Now that she didn't have a scarf on, Clyde noticed that this was the first geniune smile he saw from her. It felt like a caring soul, like an older sister he never had.

"Come on, don't be shy!" Darc chuckled as she playfully poked Clyde on the sides. There was an oddly melancholic feeling in her movements, or so Clyde thought.

"Okay, okay... I was just going to ask... Well... What was your relationship with your mentor like?" Clyde asked as he turned his face away in a shy way.

"Ah, my mentor... He's... A nice guy, alright. Why did you ask?" Darc's face changed from gentle to uncomfortable almost instantly.

"Nothing... Just... I was thinking about Bryce and myself. That, and about being a ranger." Clyde talked silently. He couldn't put half the confidence he had in his words.

"Bryce... He's a caring person, isn't he? He's gentle, takes pity on others easily." Darc remembered her old memories as she spoke.

"Y-yes, he takes... pity... For sure. Yes." Clyde replied as his gaze shifted even further away from Darc.

"Did I say something wrong?" Darc touched Clyde's shoulder.

"No, not at all, don't... don't worry." The curly haired apprentice seemed to give all his focus on playing with his hair, as if he was not listening to Darc, but himself.

A few minutes of uncomfortable silence went past.

"Darc, do you think Bryce just accepted me because I'm pitiful?" Clyde burst out suddenly, turning towards her at the verge of tears.

"What do you mean? Of course not. I mean, who takes an apprentice out of pity?" Darc chuckled awkwardly.

"Bryce could! You said it yourself!"

"But I didn't mean _that_, an apprentice is serious business! Besides, aren't you good with medicine? How is that pitiful?"

"But just look at my archery! Then look at Glade's! It's little wonder Merlin picked him over me." Clyde pushed his fingers together and stared at the cobblestone road beneath his feet.

"Aren't you going a bit too overboard?" Darc said as she slowly slid next to the boy. "Merlin's just going to be Merlin. He says mean things sometimes, especially when he's angry. Then he just blurts out whatever." She breathed from her nose as she mentioned the tetchy ranger.

"You shouldn't let other people define you. Don't you already know who you are yourself?" She put her arm around his shoulder and ruffled the curly hair that was already messy.

"You think so?" Clyde sniffed as he looked at Darc with a guilty expression. "Thank you, Darc. I... I needed that."

"Now, let's put your head away from those bad thoughts. Let me take you to a barber!" Darc smiled as she got up and lent her hand to the boy, who took it to rise himself.

"Huh? What does that have to do with..." Clyde looked surprised.

"A new haircut should make a small change in your life, right? Perfect for these times." Darc said as she started walking towards a direction. "Besides, you have that weird antenna-like strands wiggling as you move. It's so distracting!"

"What? It doesn't disturb me." Clyde said in retaliation.

"Eheheh, you'll notice once we're done." Darc laughed as she lead him through the path. Clyde smiled back. Perhaps it was best to leave the gloomy thoughts for after the fun.


	33. Chapter 31: The White Ball

The apprentice walked nervously on the cobblestone road, his cloak nearly sweeping the dust off the ground. As he noticed that he held the clasp a bit too loose and decided to fix it, he tripped over a small rock and had to flail his arms around to not fall face first into the floor. His face went more pink by the minute as he realized the more anxious he gets about his meeting with the girl, the more clumsy he got. Finally managing to shake it off, he gazed at the door of the tailor shop, took a deep breath and walked in.

The tailor shop was nearly empty, since it was early in the morning. People that were usually fluttering around from customer to customer were nowhere to be seen, as well. There were many clothes lying around, likely from the busy yesterday. Finding a comfortable stool with a soft, velvet cushion on it, Clyde decided to wait for someone to arrive. After all, the doors were open when he arrived, at least the owner of the shop had to be around. Unless...

The apprentice lifted his head after thinking for a moment. The empty room was terribly silent, yet the doors were wide open when he arrived.

Clyde, puzzled, decided to investigate further, trying to make his steps as silent as possible, avoiding the clothes and tools on the floor. Just as he made it to the farthest room, filled with stylish gowns and vests hanged all around along with a table with strings, cloth and needles lying on top, he held his breath and took a good look around the hanged clothing. It felt like there was a shadow right behind the largest cluster of dresses.

"Stay right there!" He tried to make his voice sound as deep and threatening as possible as he drew his saxe knife from its hilt, finding confidence from the whistling noise of leather meeting metal.

"Ugh, do you hate surprises that much?" A familiar girl jumped out of her hiding place. She was wearing a simple, blue dress that looked very unlike her usual bard outfit, plain and elegant instead of wild and flashy.

"W-wait, you came?" Clyde put the knife back on its sheath as he let out a breath of relief. He had thought that a thief was hiding inside the place.

"Of course! You know the ball is coming very soon, we have to get our outfits as soon as possible." She crossed her arms and nodded.

"Ah, sure, okay." The boy set his sights on the wooden floor. "Wait, did you see the owner of this shop anywhere?" He suddenly sparked up.

"How else did you think I got in? You're really weird today, Clyde." Barbara changed her face to a concerned look.

"Miss, I hope I didn't make you wait." Clyde heard the voice of an older woman towards the entrance. She was holding a gorgeous red dress in her hands, looking at the bard as she eagerly took it off her hands.

"Thank you, I wish I could buy this beautiful piece for myself, but I'm glad I could just rent it, too." She smiled as she held the dress in front of herself.

"Clyde, how do I look?" She winked at the boy.

"I... I think it looks nice!" Clyde nodded excitedly. The vibrant red dress had a slender and elegant start from the top which bloomed into a soft, frilly skirt at the waist. Rose patterns were added to the ribbon surrounding the waist, making the boy think of the flower that was equally as elegant.

Aside from that, he could see that some spots on the frilly dress could be used as hidden pockets. Perhaps I am reading too much into it, thought the boy.

"It looks pretty useful, too."

"Thanks for the compliment... That was a compliment, right?" Barbara giggled as she turned to the tailor.

"Could you help me into the dress, ma'am?"

"Sure, just wait for a second, Miss." The tailor said gently, then yelled out to the still open door, signalling the workers that had newly arrived to come quickly.

"Betty, Anna, help out this young man while I handle the dress." She said as she was focused on her customer.

They nodded and turned towards the boy as he averted his eyes from them. He had no idea about fashionable clothes and he wasn't ready to tell that to the girls in front of him.

"Uh, Barbara, do you have anything to recommend?" He asked desperately.

"Huh? Oh, just wear something red. It'd suit you." Barbara said without turning her head.

"S-something red, please." He turned back to the girls. The girl who stood to the left looked like she was holding herself from laughing.

"Something red? Sure thing, Mister. Follow me, please." The girl on the right stopped playing with her braided hair and lead a confused Clyde through the shop.

As she showed him different clothes, Clyde looked at all the flashy, extravagant vests and glittering belts, unable to decide between them. Honestly, they looked like they were too much, even for royalty. Or maybe he was just used to wearing simple clothes for the last few years. He took a deep breath as he readied himself for a long few hours. 

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

It was about time for the ball to start when all the rangers save for one had gathered around the tavern near the entrance of the chateau. The air between the three of them was tense, as Merlin and Darc refused to look at each other's faces while a confused Glade stood next to them, waiting for someone to start speaking.

"Isn't Clyde coming?" He tried to open a friendly topic, tapping his foot on the floor lightly with his arms crossed.

Darc briefly shifted her gaze to the apprentice. "I'm not sure, I talked to him before but..." She turned her face away once more.

"As long as we can enter in, there's no problem." Merlin said curtly. "It isn't like this is anything special."

Darc stayed silent. Glade let out a sigh as his eyes searched for his ginger haired friend one last time.

"Sorry we're late!" The three rangers turned their faces to the source of the voice.

"We?" Darc questioned for a moment before seeing the girl walking beside Clyde, holding his arm.

"Who's that?" Glade had a weird expression on his face.

"I don't think we've met. I'm Barbara, just a regular gal around here." She said with unexpected yet ironic elegance.

"You didn't mention this before, have you, Clyde?" Darc smiled slightly, visibly amused. She gave him a mischievous look.

"Y-yeah, she's a friend I met with on a few occasions, and..." His words crumbled in his mouths as his eyes didn't know where to look.

"Anyway, where did you find a dress like... That?" Glade threw a questioning stare at him. Merlin and Glade both wore stylish yet simple black vests with silver coloured decorative patterns and on them, which looked like shadows when compared to the crimson vest of the flustered boy, similarly adorned with patterns and buttons.

"I picked it for him, aren't we quite the match?" Barbara laughed heartily as Clyde joined her with a drowned out nervous voice.

"It's so foolishly vibrant, anyone from a mile away could feel their eyes burning." Merlin said with a snarky tone.

"Ugh, whatever. We better get going." He didn't wait for an answer as he started walking towards the place without looking back. The others looked at each other for a moment before following behind.

The ballroom was not like the luxurious room Clyde made up in his mind, but it was clear the place belonged to people of the upper crust. The simple, white coloring of the walls supported the red curtains covering them, which matched with the wide carpet spread on the floor. There were two long tables still being filled with plates of different food. People had already started to chat with each other and soon the usual sound of the crowd was formed. All of this happening in the span of a few seconds dazzled the boy's mind. His arm still locked with Barbara's, he let her take the lead as he tried to get used to this new environment.

"What's up with you? I thought you'd be more excited for your first time at a ball." The girl looked at Clyde with concern.

"I-it's fine, I just need to get used to this."

"Say, this isn't about your friends over there, is it?" She pointed to a spot where Clyde saw Glade talking to Darc and Merlin behind the tables before heading back to the center.

"No, not that..." Clyde lied between his teeth.

"Look, you know we came here to have fun, and I can't have fun when you're pouting like that." Barbara turned Clyde's face towards herself.

"Ah, fine..." Clyde turned his head back to where it was. "Er... Don't be mad, but I need a bit of privacy for that."

"It's okay, I'm not going to wait here like a statue, you know." She laughed. "I will be mad if you don't take me for a dance when it's time, though. So keep that on your mind."

"That's a promise!" Clyde nodded as he managed to pry his eyes from hers.

There he was, The grumpy ranger was leaning his back on the wall, his eyes searching for any suspicious action. Though, he looked rather distracted to Clyde. He wondered about the reason before Merlin's gaze crossed his. The boy immediately looked elsewhere, running up to the first person on sight instead, who ended up being Glade, to his surprise.

"Glade? I... I thought you'd be with Darc." Clyde saw the blond apprentice sitting on a stool, playing with his food on the plate neatly placed on the wooden table.

"I was, until she had an argument with Merlin again." He sighed. Clyde noticed his usually cheerful demeanor was gone, so he decided to pull a stool and sit next to him for a while.

"Hey, Glade..."

"What?"

"No, uh... nevermind." Clyde also started to play with the food on the plate he just grabbed. It really didn't help.

"Clyde..." Glade spoke up after a short yet stressful moment of silence.

"Huh?"

"Aren't you tired of this as well?" He locked his eyes on the plate as he spoke.

"Us rangers are supposed to stick together and trust each other. Is it like that right now? Just look at us... Look at them." He lifted his hand to discreetly point at Merlin who was still standing on the same spot, and Darc who stood on the opposite end of the room.

"I know the mission is more important, I know that being a ranger means upholding the mission above your feelings, but... Then why do I feel so disturbed?"

"Glade..." Clyde tilted his face down. "It's the first time you said something like that. So even you..."

"Even I? Even I what?" Glade lifted an eyebrow.

"Nothing. I'm going to fix it, so don't feel bad anymore, OK?" He warmly smiled at the blond apprentice and left his spot.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

There he was again, standing in the same spot. Clyde breathed deeply and this time walked in a straight line towards the ranger.

"What? Did you see something? Don't bother me if you didn't." Merlin didn't look in the eyes of the apprentice this time.

"I didn't, but I came here to talk." Clyde said as he gathered up his strength.

"Weren't you avoiding me before?" Merlin asked as he briefly shifted his gaze to the boy.

"I was..."

"Then why are you here now?"

"Because I..." He swallowed before he resumed. "I can't take it anymore! I don't want to act distant to you and I don't want you and Darc to stay mad at each other!"

Hearing him, Merlin stood silent, surprising the apprentice.

"That, and because I'm sorry." Clyde also leaned into the wall as he exhaled. "I said so many harsh things. I didn't know my place as an apprentice, so I just burst my feelings at you thinking I was speaking for Darc and I..."

"Stop." Merlin put his fingers on Clyde's lips to silence him. "Just... Stop it." He was looking away, as if he was afraid of something.

Merlin? Afraid? That's new, thought Clyde as he stood silent for a moment.

"You're just too soft." Merlin started speaking. "Don't you realize I also did more than half of what you're apologising for?"

"Huh? But that's just how you are..."

"Does it matter? You're afraid of hurting people. I'm not. Now you're coming back to me like a lost puppy, asking for forgiveness for something stupid."

"But..." Clyde also looked away for a moment. "It's fine, my father used to be like that too, I'm used to it."

"Your father?" Merlin turned his head back, somewhat disturbed.

"Yeah, father was always hot headed like that." He squinted his eyes slightly. "So whenever he yelled at me for something, I'd apologise so he would calm down easier. Sometimes I wasn't at fault, but does it really matter?"

"What do you mean, 'does it really matter'? Of course it does, you idiot!" Merlin raised his voice as Clyde moved a few steps away.

"And your father? You're seriously comparing me to that monster?" He took a deep breath before going on.

"M-merlin?"

"It's true. I took out my anger out of you." Merlin said as he lowered his head, refusing to have his eyes meet the apprentice again. "Whatever that's going on is between Jane... I mean Darc and I. I was mad because what you said about me was true."

"Darc..." Clyde looked at the girl in the astounding dress across the room. "Merlin, you don't want to stay mad at her, do you?"

"No."

"Then why don't you talk to her?"

"Because I'm afraid! Damn it, you just had to make me say that!" Merlin burst out, but tried to keep his composure.

"Whenever I talk to people, it's always like that. I'm raised to destroy, not to repair... I don't know how to console people. I don't know how to apologise. And when I try... Well, you can see the results."

"Merlin..." Clyde looked at the pale face of the ranger. The cold face that never wavered, always snarky and grumpy, a good teacher that showed no weakness... Was now a step away from being flooded with tears. That was when it all dunked upon his head. Merlin was human, no matter how much he wanted to escape from them, he had feelings. As he realized that, Clyde felt warm, warmer than the icy cold hand of the ranger he just held.

"Hey, what are you doi-"

Before he could protest, Clyde hugged Merlin tightly with tears on his face. Somehow, he wanted the warmth inside him to reach the core of Merlin's heart as well.

The ranger sighed. "It's rubbing off on you. Bryce's sudden hugs... It runs in the family." He meekly wrapped his arms around the apprentice as well, for a moment.

"Okay, that's enough fooling around. Now leave me alone." He pushed the apprentice back in a way that he thought was gentle, but was not.

"Eheheh, okay, okay." Clyde smiled as he waved his hand. Satisfied, he then left to spot his soon-to-be dance partner among the nobles near the table across the room. 

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

The ball room was filled with the sweet tunes coming from the instruments being played. The first song had a mild, calming feeling to it. Clyde was feeling like he would explode if he held his partner's hands and felt her eyes on him for one more second, but the music helped him calm down at the last moment.

"So? Are we just going to stand like this?" Barbara asked playfully.

Clyde looked deeply into her green eyes, he felt warm and could feel his face painted a vibrant red matching his outfit. "I... I don't mind staying like this a bit more."

"What, don't tell me you don't know how to dance!" She smirked.

Clyde avoided her gaze as he backed away on instinct. "I don't..."

"Well, let me teach you, then." She grabbed his arm and put it on her waist and the other arm on her shoulder. "Come on, move with me."

Clyde took a few steps with her, trying to match her movements. As he tried more and more to be in sync, he felt the two of them becoming one through this dance. The instruments moved swiftly as the music got lively and joyful. He felt the energetic notes in his veins.

"I'm surprised, you didn't step on my feet once!" Barbara said as she locked her eyes on Clyde's. She wanted him to pay attention to her. If he focused too much on the dance, she could miss a rare chance.

Clyde took his eyes away from the floor and looked into her eyes as well. "Well, maybe I do know how to dance, then."

"Ow."

"Sorry." Embarrassed, Clyde immediately shifted his gaze back. Maybe he shouldn't have spoken so early.

However, Barbara lifted his face back up with her hand. "Please, just look into my eyes."

"But..."

"I don't care, it's just some silly dance."

Clyde felt confused. "But I thought that you wanted to feel like a noble... Someone of the higher crust."

"That's true. I do want to be rich and I do want to live a luxurious life, but none of these could make it up to this night." Barbara got closer to Clyde as their steps got faster and faster.

"Why? As long as you have those... What will you have missing in your life?"

She blushed slightly as she moved one more step forward. "You."

Clyde couldn't answer. The distance between them was now so small that he couldn't see anything else but her. No, even if she was miles away, he still would see her and only her. It didn't make sense in his mind, but in his heart...

"We've just met a few months ago... but..."

Barbara threw him a sorrowful look. "It's too soon, but when will I get any other chance to see you again? To dance with you again?" Clyde didn't know much about her, but he knew that she wasn't lying. Because for the first time, her playful mask was left behind. Tender tears were about to flow from her eyes but Clyde didn't let them, wiping her eyes with his hands.

"Me too. I will miss a chance too, if I don't act quickly."

"A chance?"

"A chance to... You know... I... Can I?" Clyde leaned forward as she understood what he meant, and leaned forward as well, smiling. Their lips met and both felt emotions that they could not describe, even to themselves. For that five seconds that felt like much more, both felt pure joy, forgetting their troubles and even forgetting those around them.

Clyde stepped back, his face once more burning more fiercely than a fire. He couldn't stop smiling. Neither could Barbara, who silently continued to dance with him. She didn't want this dance to end. It was like a daydream that she got to live for real. Only if it could last longer...

"Heh, look at the lovebirds. I can't imagine what Bryce would do if he saw." Merlin said as he briefly gazed at the young couple. He and Darc were also dancing, but the mood between them was nowhere as sincere as those two.

Darc was unresponsive ever since the ball started. Merlin felt a hint of guilt stabbing his heart as he watched her dull expression. She was mad.

"Jane?"

Darc sighed loudly. She was avoiding Merlin's eyes, but not because she was hesitant. On the contrary, it seemed like she was protesting something. "Mission first, chat later."

Was this her way of punishing him? Did she really think he would be hurt by her ignorance? Merlin thought. The dance continued in an elegant yet soulless manner. Both of them knew when and where to take their steps but despite their coordination, their hearts seemed to go different paths.

"You still mad?" Merlin asked in his usual deadpan tone. He didn't know why, but he felt the need to know.

Darc merely answered by nodding. At this rate, the dance would end without them having a single proper talk. As time went, the pins of guilt poked deeper inside Merlin. Was it really okay to let things go like that?

He recalled his childhood days. In the unforgiving world he was born to, no matter who was at fault, no matter what happens, he never was the one to step back and apologise. When he made a mistake, he fixed it. When others made mistakes, he fixed those, too. At least, that was what it felt like. To apologise was to show weakness. To accept that you made a mistake. That you were not perfect. Yet still, why? Why couldn't he do the same now and ignore the silence his childhood friend was presenting? What made it impossible to ignore?

He tried to form his thoughts into sentences. "I..."

Darc suddenly lifted her head. "You what?" It was obvious that she was expecting something.

"I..."

It wasn't working. It was as if his pride sealed his mouth shut, never to open.

"Yes, Merlin. You?" Darc's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"I... I..." Merlin said repeatedly, making sounds as if he was choking on something.

Darc closed her eyes, frustrated. "That's it, 'I'? That's all you think about nowadays but I haven't thought the day would come where it would be all you could say, too."

"You know... at that time, Clyde said..." He tried a different approach. "He said that I disregarded your feelings and only thought of the mission." He tried to swallow, but couldn't. His throat was forming a big knot.

"Yes, I talked to him about that. You realize you've hurt him, right?" She said as she looked at him with visible disgust. Despite the short time they were together, she seemed to have formed a sisterly bond with the boy, so she felt even more furious talking about it.

"Yeah. We talked, that's not the problem." Merlin said as he gathered up his strength. He was not going to botch this attempt, no matter what.

"Then what is!?" Darc raised her voice. She was done being patient. Her eyes were starting to well up, and the stoic face she tried to hold up fell apart in an instant. "Tell me! What is the problem!?You never shut up when it's an argument, why aren't you talking now? Do I have to yell? Is that what it takes to take a word out of you? Then I'll do that, too!" She leaned on Merlin as she couldn't hold her tears any longer. She was going to trip and fall on her knees, but the arms of her dance partner caught her at the last second. Now her face was directly facing his. She could see Merlin's face without any of his hair getting into its way, a rare sight. The deep, blue eyes of the ranger looked directly into her as the seal in his mouth was finally broken.

"Sorry."

Darc stood dumbfounded for a few seconds. "What did you just..."

"I said... I said I'm sorry!" It was no use avoiding her eyes now. If making a mistake and losing the perfect image of himself meant that he could see her innocent smile again, if showing weakness just for a second was going to stop her from showing that gloomy, emotionless face, he was willing to do it.

"I wasn't holding the mission above all else. I just knew what we needed, so I said it. I should have talked with you first, but I acted on my own and hurt you. So... So I made a mistake. I'm apologising."

"Merlin, did you just apologise?" Darc stared at him with wide open eyes. Her hand touched his cheek as if she was trying to make sure that he was real and not an illusion.

Blushing, Merlin noticed that they were still in the very same pose they gave when he caught her, so he helped her back up and looked at her face one more time. He wished with all his heart that her old expression returned.

"I will not forgive you as easy as that, but..." She sighed and offered him her hand. "I'll at least allow you to have this dance, okay?"

Merlin silently grabbed her hand and they began dancing again. This time, they could look at each other's faces contentedly. This was all that Merlin needed.

"You look beautiful when you smile." He said as he watched her get flustered.

"Maybe you'd look more handsome if you smiled more, too."

"Nice try. I won't fall for that one." He said, but he smiled back without noticing.

Darc giggled. "Heheh. Too bad."

"You know why I always told you to ditch that scarf?" Merlin asked suddenly.

"Because you agreed with *him* instead of me." She said as if she was somewhat hurt.

Merlin shook his head from side to side. "No. Not just that. I just didn't want a Darc who was afraid to show her face."

"Why? You know how I look like under the disguise, anyway." Darc questioned. Why would he be so pushy about that, anyway? She thought.

"Because it's not enough... You're the half of me... The half that feels the emotions for me." Merlin released a deep breath. "I was avoiding you to stay away from the Blue Moon... No, to avoid my own feelings. But... I've realized now."

"Merlin..." Darc gently caressed his face. "It's okay now. I'll be your half if you need me to be."

"But that's not an equal exchange." Merlin said as he pouted.

Darc laughed. "Since when were you all about fairness?"

"In exchange, I... I'll be your partner. How's that?" He almost went out of breath trying to talk.

"Partner in crime?"

"No... Well..."

Darc closed her eyes briefly. "Don't worry, I get it."

"Are you sure?" Merlin asked hesitantly and Darc, with a wide smile, nodded in response.

He had realized it now, no matter what how much he pushed them away, his emotions were still there. Before he was a ranger, he was human. He reminded himself of this fact. He was sure he'd forget soon after, but just as this dance became a mirage that allowed them to live their dreams just for a while, Merlin clinged on to his feelings as he looked at Darc's smile. He could lose his feelings again, but never her smile. For some reason he couldn't explain even to himself, he wanted it to stay with him outside the ballroom, outside this country, no matter where he is, forever.

"Hey, Merlin... It's over." Darc slowly took a step back as the melody released from the instruments slowly reached to an end.

"Stop." Merlin held her arms as she shot a surprised look at him.

"What is it?"

"I want to give you a small secret. Lend me your ear." His face went pink as he spoke.

Darc complied with a curious expression. As soon as she did, she heard his whispering voice.

"I love you."

After leaving a small kiss on her cheek, he stepped back and looked at her again.

"We'll keep this our little secret."

Darc put her hand where Merlin's lips were a moment ago. "Our little secret."

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

The music had already stopped, and people went back on their seats as the food was slowly being served once more for the guests. Glade looked around for his fellow rangers and found Merlin and Darc heading for the tables along with other guests.

He ran up to them to block their path. "What are you all doing?" He asked them, lightly tapping his foot as he waited for a response.

"What are we doing? What are you doing?" Merlin asked with a guilty look on his face.

"Don't tell me you guys were too busy dancing to look around the place!" Glade said with visible disappointment. "There's..." He suddenly paused. "Where's Clyde?"

Merlin, with a still face, pointed to the apprentice still happily dancing with the bard, despite the dance being over some time ago.

Glade slapped his palm on his forehead. "Anyway, what's the problem?" Darc asked to Glade who was busy glaring at Clyde from afar.

"There are several people walking around the place. They're definitely messing with the food but I have no idea what they are putting in." He explained calmly.

"Uh oh. Seems like that's it for the fancy noble fantasies." Darc said, a little embarrassed. "We should get Clyde, maybe he can check the food for poison."

"Right." Merlin nodded. "Glade, you keep your eye on those guys and signal me if they leave somewhere. I'll patrol around."

Glade shook his head in approval as he put on a small grin. "Now you guys are back to your senses. It was getting a little lonely here, you know."

"I'm here, I'm here!" Clyde ran over to the tables with Darc. "I just brought a bit of medicine, but I suppose I can check if there is anything inside."

"Alright then, I'll fetch you a plate." Darc left. Even though she was heading for the opposite direction, her eyes briefly searched for a focused Merlin, who was looking around the place.

"So, how are things going on with your fiancé?" Glade asked Clyde with a nonchalant tone.

"Wha- She's not my..." Clyde blushed. He then complained to Glade, flustered. "You could have at least said 'your lover' or something like that, that's going overboard!"

Glade leaned on to the chair he was sitting on and pushed it a little, swinging back and forth. "Let me have some fun, too. I was here doing my job when you guys were doing..." He made an elaborate movement with his hand that Clyde didn't understand in the slightest. "...That."

"What's with that sour face, are you jealous?" Clyde snickered as he took out a vial full of clear fluid and put a few drops of the liquid on the food Darc brought.

Glade's face went a subtle pink. He turned his face away from Clyde and crossed his arms. "Why would I be jealous? Of whom?"

Clyde watched as the spongy dessert had a few spots on it turn into a strange color. "Ah... That's not good."

"What is it, Clyde?" Asked Darc with a concerned face.

Clyde's expression took on a serious form. "That's... probably some kind of tranquilizing medicine."

"Then why are the guests still awake?" Glade asked, looking around.

"If we guess everyone had at least a bite, they won't be for so long." Clyde answered, putting his equipment back in their place.

"Is Merlin looking for them? We have to put a stop to these hijackers before they do something worse!" Darc said as she looked for the grumpy ranger.

Merlin was looking at them, discreetly pointing to one of the doors in the room.

"That's where they went." Darc thought aloud as she approached Merlin with Glade silently following her.

"I-I'll catch you guys in a second!" Clyde said as he found his former dance partner nearly taking a bite out of the food served on the fancy plates.

"Hang on, don't eat that!" He pulled the plate away from her.

"Huh? What's going on?" Barbara looked at him with questioning eyes.

"The food's poisoned." Clyde explained briefly. "But before that, listen to me for a moment." He helped her rise from the chair.

"Clyde, is this about your..." Barbara was about to say until Clyde put his finger on his lips, signaling her to stay silent. He then put his mouth close to her ear and talked in a quiet voice.

"Yeah, it's about that. Look, I enjoyed our time together, but before I am... You know... Before I am *that*, I am a ranger."

"I know but..." Barbara sighed. "Won't you at least tell me what is going on?"

"There's no time! I'm already late." Clyde was about to go, but then something came into his mind.

"Hang on... They poisoned the food with tranquilizers, so everyone who ate it will faint soon. If I don't come back in a while..." He took off his bronze oak leaf from his neck. "...If that happens, please run. Go back to Araluen and tell the nearest ranger that we need help here. And show them this as proof." He gently put the metal necklace on her hands.

"You can trust me." She looked at him bravely and grinned playfully as she tightly grasped the oak leaf. Then she planted a small kiss on his cheek as he left, leaving him surprised.

"Clyde... We're splitting off again." She let out a big breath as her forced smile disappeared. "Well, it was fun while it lasted.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

Clyde ran through the door silently as he hoped the vibrant clothes doesn't give him in. The air inside the corridor was too quiet. The others probably had went far ahead. Looking around the stone walls of the chateau, he took careful and nimble steps. There was only one path to take from where he started, which made him nervous as he hadn't seen the others in a long time, because he would have found them by now if the road is straight ahead.

The corridor reached to an end as Clyde noticed a sharp turn on the edge. It seemed like the long corridor left its place to stairs after the turn. As he climbed up the stairs, the apprentice felt his mouth go dry from anxiousness. Just what had happened to everyone?

As he was about to step on the last part of the stairs, he peeked over and noticed tall shadows in a room on the second floor lightly illuminated with torches. He could also hear muffled noises from inside that room. Clyde swallowed, took a deep breath and prepared himself to enter the room. In three, two, one...

The scenery he had in his mind was definitely not the one he was witnessing now. Merlin, Darc and Glade were each held tightly from behind by who appeared to be the same kind of people chasing them down before... The Crescent Scourgers.

A single man was standing right in front of them with a triumphant look on his face. Merlin was glaring at him intensely.

"You! I can't believe I couldn't guess _you_ were behind all this."

"Behind all this? Oh, no." The man laughed while he shook his head from side to side. "I'm merely making it even between us. You know how much I suffered because of you two!?" He yelled suddenly, startling Clyde. He didn't know who this stranger was and while he wanted to rush to their help, he had to stay discreet or he would lose the element of surprise.

"We just wanted our freedom! You could have joined us!" Darc yelled back at him.

"Oh, but I didn't." The man poked Darc in the chest harshly. "...and I am glad that I did not, for now I am about to start the movement that will let Araluen fall into the Blue Moon's hands. And you two?" He looked at the rangers condescendingly. "Just two pesky rats in my way. I don't even count that little runt on the side."

"Don't mess with us! Rangers are always better than Blue Moon... or whatever you guys call it!" Glade yelled as the man turned his face at him.

"Who told you that you could speak?" He fiercely punched the apprentice on the face as Clyde watched in shock. "Children should know their place!"

_This_ was the final straw. He wasn't going to wait for them to turn their backs on him. He wasn't even going to waste one second.

Without a single noise, Clyde threw one of the smokescreen bags he prepared beforehand inside the room. This sudden assault surprised all four foes.

"Wh-what!? Who is there?" The guy that punched Glade a moment ago yelled in confusion.

Merlin and Darc suddenly got loose and fell down as two flying pieces of metal hit their captors' faces. The smokescreen made it hard to see, but this was child's play for both. Darc, before getting up, swept her leg swiftly and tripped the Scourger holding Glade, who searched for a hint of the ginger hair of his friend as soon has he was freed.

The smoke slowly dissipated as the man who had the upper hand a moment ago was now faced with four people and two of his subordinates were already down. He had to think quick, or this would be the end of him.

"You're lucky I didn't bring a bow, or you would be dead by now." Merlin smirked as he took out his double saxe knives. Darc, Glade and Clyde also silently took out their knives. They've had cornered the enemy.

"Huh? Then let's say that I'm glad you didn't." The man smirked dangerously. The rangers felt the need to look around very briefly, as this was not the voice of a man who was cornered.

Suddenly, a large monster came out of the door right behind him and let out a frightening roar.

"Wh-what is that!?" Clyde yelled involuntarily. This was not the kind of monster they fought with Bryce before. The crimson eyes and the thick fur, combined with its bear like posture, this creepy being was alien to all of them. The moment it locked its gaze on Clyde, he felt stunned and found himself shaking. Was he afraid? No, this was a different feeling, as if his very flesh was turning into stone.

"Damn it! All of you, run!" Merlin wasted no time in rushing towards the door, avoiding the monster. Darc and Glade followed behind before the enemy could do anything.

However, no matter what he did, Clyde couldn't move his feet. What was going on?

Glade noticed Clyde's eyes locked into the furry fiend, refusing to move, and ran up to him, forcing him to break eye contact. "Clyde, Clyde! Come to your senses!"

"Wait, why is he still standing there!?" Merlin was about to escape through the door as he saw Clyde standing still in the farthest part of the room. He turned back to rush to his help but the Scourger that Darc took out with a sweep before cut his way. As he fought fiercely with the enemy, Darc slithered around the room to make it to the apprentices without getting noticed.

"Clyde, come on! Move!" Glade kept shaking him.

"Huh... What..." He mumbled.

"Glade! Clyde!" Desperately, Darc yelled from behind to warn them.

Just as Clyde shook himself awake from the mesmerizing eyes of the monster, he saw the man from before approaching Glade with a large knife while the boy had his back turned towards him.

"Glade! Watch out!" Clyde tackled Glade with the last of his strength, pushing the boy out of harm's way. In doing so, the blade that would stab into Glade's face instead slashed his back.

Screaming from the sheer pain, the vision the apprentice went dark and he collapsed on the ground. Breathing heavily, he could still faintly hear someone yelling.

"Clyde... How dare you-" A furious voice belonging to Glade cried out. "AARGH!"

"Glade, not you too!"

"You will pay for this!"

"Not when the Kalkara is still here!"

The voices slowly mixed into one another, until he couldn't even understand who was speaking or what was being spoken. Soon after, Clyde gave in to the pain and felt his consciousness slip away.

**.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.****.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.****.•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•. ✿ .•°°•.**

**Hello everyone! Sorry I took so long with this chapter. It was such a pivotal moment in the story that I had to give full effort to it, not to mention school getting in the way. Because of that, until the next summer, I'll try to write a new chapter at least once per month unlike the fast paced first 20 chapters or so. So... yeah. Thanks for reading my story and see you next time!**


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